


Haunting Of The Dolls

by Darksinokari (Darksinokaru)



Category: Compilation of Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII, Final Fantasy VII (Video Game 1997), Final Fantasy VII Remake (Video Game 2020)
Genre: 3 endings in total, Additional warnings in the end of chapter notes to avoid spoilers, Atmospheric, Be prepared for anything really, Bottom Cloud, Cloud is denial king, Course Language, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat, Disturbing Content, Disturbing and uncomfortable situations, Dolls have significance to the plot, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, Floor plans included for visual representation of the house, Gotta try to set up that atmosphere, Horror, I hope to keep you on your toes, If it weren't for the strong mystery in this story there would be more tags here, M/M, Mystery, Not for the faint of heart, Sefikura, Seme Sephiroth, Sephiroth MIGHT be hiding something, Sexual Overtones from the start, Top Sephiroth, Two Alternate Endings, Uke Cloud, a bit of a slow burn, had to have a tweak on that, if you're uncertain please check end of chapter notes, it's horror guys, old house spooky sounds ooh is it haunted?, sexually explicit, very dark
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-24
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:27:00
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 11
Words: 66,235
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26617423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darksinokaru/pseuds/Darksinokari
Summary: Cloud is desperate for a job and willing to take anything. Even if it’s living as a caretaker for a creepy 200 year-old mansion in the mountains.But the manor has secrets that its mysterious owner, Sephiroth, protects behind locked doors and rules. Still, they spill free in dark shadows that fill the halls and congregate in corners. And they whisper their warnings in icy breaths, flitting glances, and fleeting touches.Desperation is the strongest motivation in life, will it be enough for Cloud?Sephiroth/Cloud
Relationships: Sephiroth/Cloud
Comments: 124
Kudos: 178





	1. Encounter 1: The Doll's Interview

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! I've been working on this for weeks now (slowing progress on some other fics), and it's my plan to have this finished by Halloween. I uh... hope I'll make it. I do have everything planned out, I just need to get it all written out in time. The only thing I don't know is the exact number of chapters. For those of you who are interesting in something dark, creepy, and horrific, this is certainly the place for it, though I suppose it'll be up to you if I deliver on it or not. I very much hope that anyone who has come here finds this story a fun and creepy ride. And enjoys the Seph/Cloud. lol
> 
> I do have a playlist I've made for this fic that has a lot of ambient music that I've been listening to when I write, and I thought I'd share for anyone curious to check it out. 
> 
> Playlist/soundtrack
> 
> In This Moment: [In The Air Tonight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZS2O4dXFXE)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Blood Pulse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onHdoaxTdPw)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Warped Mind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkurXmkUFTg)  
> Ayako Toyoda: [ Another Hallway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trkYXmTvlro&list=PLD0B2C600CB0FEF64&index=4)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Only a Nightmare ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEWLDJc2YDE)  
> Mikko Tarmia: [ Darkness](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8jFc2Wmfcs)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Prisonic Fairytale ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk-3uAkcPXQ)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Wail of Warning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrWsWNOOfuQ)  
> Marilyn Manson: [ Born Villain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06LXBa-MbH0)  
> The Birthday Massacre: [ Surrender](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB0UzaGbUUY)  
> Meg Myers: [Desire](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agul5xTnqdY)  
> Deftones: [Change (In The House Of Flies)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuzJAgXIdCc)  
>   
> This list may get updates. For now, this is what I've listened to while writing.
> 
> I do not own Final Fantasy VII or any related properties. All belong to Square Enix and other respective owners. I'm just here for the Sephiroth/Cloud.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud finally lands an interview for a job he desperately needs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **There are no warnings for this chapter, so no need to worry about scrolling/clicking to the bottom of the page.**
> 
> And thank you to my wonderful beta [PhoenixHideki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixHideki/pseuds/PhoenixHideki) for giving this a look over. lol

The heavy tick of the clock filled the small room, tolling the seconds that drifted by with the oppressiveness of a war lord. The house sat dark and quiet aside from the ticking grand father clock and the stale breaths the house took. The smell of dust and wood filled the air, tinged with worn cotton that stuck to his tongue and stuffed his nose. Halls barren of living presence sat awash in shadow where brooding portraits and ominous landscapes dotted their walls. Fanciful rugs spilled over dark polished wood stood the test of time, though stained from years of use under foot. The study was the only place where sunlight penetrated courtesy of the drawn curtains, though even those were shrouded by dense ropes of ivy.

Inside the study a young man, no older than twenty-three, sat in a Bergère Chair in front of the Partners Desk which gleamed in its dark wood color at the back of the room. The high relief designs flowered organically, ornate and prideful along its various edges as the flowery swirls and accents crawled across the surface of the polished wood. Even the Bergère the young man sat in boasted intricate shapes in its embroidered back and seat cushion while the wood itself curved to its soft rounded feet on the rug covered floor. The room wasn’t large, but the large latticed windows at the front of the room allowed the room to look much brighter and larger with its majestic view over the rolling grassy land the manor sat on.

Bookshelves flanked the room, filled to the brim with books, many with gilded lettering that spoke of philosophy, science, and history. The young man shifted, nervous as he turned blue eyes to glance around the room that currently only his black clad form occupied. He rolled his shoulders, finding the shoulders of the suit jacket tight and shifted again as he slid his hand down down the black tie over his black dress shirt. It was a bit stuffy in the study, and the strong smell of wood and printed paper filled his nose, saturating his senses while the slow tick of a grandfather clock in the corner of the room by the door behind the young man ticked away with each swing of the pendulum. With a sigh the blonde pulled a cellphone from his pocket and turned the screen on, squinting against the bright light shining from the face of the screen before he scowled at the lack of service reflected in his notifications.

“Excuse me,” a deep voice rolled in from behind and the young man twisted in his seat, blonde spikes bouncing slightly when he shot upright and turned in front of his chair toward the open doorway, left hand tugging his suit smooth as he offered out his hand to the man entering. Long silver hair spilled down the newcomer’s strong shoulders, framing a regal face with a handsome set of lips beneath a sharp nose. His eyes however, despite the dimness of the house, were obscured behind a pair of dark shades. The man walked in, dressed in a black dress shirt, slacks, and an open blazer with organic, intricate designs spilling across the lapels. The silverette walked up to the young man, a black cane in his right hand as he stepped up to the blonde and held out his hand, which the blonde immediately shook.

“Sephiroth, right? Scarlet let me in when I told her I was here for the interview,” the young blonde man said and the silverette nodded as their hands separated. Sephiroth was nearly a good head taller than the blonde with a much broader build in his shoulders though his figure narrowed into a small waist and a pair of long legs. With the height of his cheekbones, strong jawline, attractive brow, and not overly square chin he looked like he could have been a supermodel.

“Cloud Strife, I presume,” Sephiroth said, his voice a low, smooth rumble and the blonde nodded as the silverette walked past him and around the large desk before taking a seat. “Good, otherwise I would be calling the police,” Sephiroth said and a small, twitch of a smile cracked across Cloud’s lips as he too, took a seat. Without missing a beat the man looked down at his desk and reached for a manila folder which sat conspicuously on its clean, polished surface.

“You said you’d be getting here by cab, right? How was the walk up the road? It must have been dreadfully long,” the silverette said conversationally, face down toward the folder.

“Okay. It wasn’t that bad. I did have trouble getting the driver to take me as far as the gate though. I think next time I’ll get a ride from someone I know,” the blonde informed as the man behind the desk nodded, as if he’d expected to hear something of the sort.

“Let’s get down to business then, shall we? I looked over your resume, you graduated from ShinRa University with a degree in liberal arts,” the silverette said as he finally opened the folder and looked up at the blonde through the dark shades of the sunglasses. The blonde grimaced slightly. “There’s nothing spectacular, though you did play some football,” Sephiroth noted and the blonde nodded as he straightened his back and squared his shoulders.

“I never really knew exactly what direction to take myself in. I wasn’t bad in school, but I was never the best. Kind of the story of my whole life really. Average,” Cloud said with a rueful smile, attempting to put some humor into what he knew was a lackluster academic history. The silverette hummed as his face looked back down to the page, appearing to read.

“That doesn’t really matter. I was actually most interested in the fact that you used to play football. I did too, in college,” Sephiroth informed and the blonde stared for a second before leaning forward in interest.

“You did? Which school?”

“ShinRa as well. You might have heard of me or seen my photo,” the silverette answered passively and a surprised look came over Cloud’s face.

“I don’t remember seeing you. Though, I think I actually did hear the name Sephiroth,” the blonde said, his voice becoming an awkward, uncomfortable mutter. Was it so wise to express a lack of knowledge? What if the silverette thought he was unobservant?

“Oh, I look a lot different now. I’m afraid I grayed early, if you can call it that,” Sephiroth answered while the blonde worked to control his face. Really? He grayed early? But his hair looked so healthy and full of bounce. But, who was he to question someone’s hair genes? If he wanted this guy to hire him, it would be best to be as neutral and polite as possible.

“The reason your football specifically interested me was because you’ve surely got endurance,” Sephiroth explained as he closed the file and looked up at Cloud. “As you’ve seen, this manor is very large,” the silverette said and the blonde gave a nod.

“Yeah, feels like a castle more than a mansion,” the blonde answered before wincing slightly when his heart skipped a beat. “Sorry,” Cloud muttered quickly. A smile curved Sephiroth’s lips and the blonde’s breath caught for a second. It was the most beautiful curve he’d ever seen even as it exposed some of his clearly white and straight teeth. The man really looked like he could have been a model. Perfect genes and all that.

“It’s all right. It is very large. I can see that it looks like a castle,” Sephiroth agreed and a small wave of relief washed over Cloud. “I’ll reiterate what you should have read in the job listing. You will need to live with me. I will pay you 3,360 a month with food, board, and all tools needed supplied at no cost to you. The manor is large and in need of constant care. I will need you to clean certain areas of the house and be ready to spring into action should the alarm system detect any suspicious activity. It’s a twenty-four hour job, though of course, you will not actually be expected to work twenty-four seven. And you will have days off, though I request excursions off the property be kept short and to a minimum,” Sephiroth explained and Cloud nodded.

“Must be hard, in the middle of nowhere, and in the mountains too,” the blonde said and somehow, that smile became almost creepy in its curve the way the edges of his lips lifted, inducing a bizarre chill down Cloud’s spine.

“I prefer my solitude. And if no one had bought this place it would have wasted away to rubble. A shame, don’t you think?” Sephiroth said, an oddly jovial tone to his voice, as if he held an intimate fondness for the building. Even the way the silverette’s head tilted down as if to look at the blonde over the edge of his sunglasses, perhaps suggesting something unspoken, as if he expected Cloud to understand something or agree with his sentiments. For a moment the light from outside dimmed as clouds drifted across the sky, shading the sun and darkening the room.

“I guess. It is really pretty,” the blonde said in compulsion to say something under such a response.

“Yes, and over two centuries old. Losing such history would be a true shame. But, I digress. Do you want the job or not?” Sephiroth asked, finally pulling his face up straight, and Cloud couldn’t fight the excited curve of his lips.

“You want me?” he asked, and the silverette’s smile shifted, almost looking perverse while an awkward flutter erupted in Cloud’s heart in realization of the accidental way his question could have been taken. But why would it? It wasn’t like Sephiroth had asked him on a date, nor was he being flirted with. Right?

“If you’re willing to take the job. Like I said, I think a former football player would be a good fit. You’ll have the endurance and strength required to keep things up around here while keeping the house safe,” the silverette explained and Cloud stood up, too eager, while Sephiroth himself rose up. The blonde offered out his hand, a full smile stretching his lips and lighting up his blue eyes as his hand was taken and they shook.

“Good, then how about we sit down and fill out some paperwork?” the silverette suggested and Cloud nodded as he sat down, the owner of the house doing the same as the file was opened up again and Sephiroth began to rifle through the papers.

“I’m not really a socialite, and I don’t really have many friends to hang out with. So, it’s not a problem to stay here on days off,” Cloud informed, thinking about how restrictive his new employer was with his presence on the property.

“If I had to, would it be alright to invite friends up here? It wouldn’t be a lot, probably just two, and not at the same time unless something like my birthday,” Cloud asked.

“Who are these friends? If I may ask? I don’t want any damage to my property,” the silverette said as he paused in his weeding out of the proper papers and looked up at the blonde.

“Uh, well, there’s my friend from my hometown, Tifa. She’s kind of a mother hen type figure and tends to pester me about things, well, a mother would,” Cloud explained, cheeks warming and perhaps regretting explaining her in such a way, even if it was the most honest way to do so. “And then there’s Zack, the only person in college I really got along with. We both played. Unlike me though he was really popular and outgoing. But, if I told him he had to be respectful and quiet, he would be. And he wouldn’t show up with people when asked not to.” Sephiroth seemed to think about the information for a moment before giving a nod and pulling the papers free from the file.

“I guess I can allow that. Though if you do bring them, I ask that you perhaps keep your visits around the guest house,” the silverette explained and the confusion on Cloud’s face must have been obvious from the way Sephiroth smiled and chuckled.

“I’ll show you to the guest house when we’re done here. In fact, I’ll be giving you a tour and map of the manor. I don’t want you getting lost and having to call a search party,” the silverette said, smile still in place and the blonde gave a small, awkward laugh even as a small worry popped into the back of his mind. He fucking hoped that he didn’t need ever actually need help getting around when he had a map.

After Cloud signed away all his legal information for tax purposes Sephiroth led him out of the light of the study while handing him a print out of exactly what he said he would- the house map. It was huge, as expected as he looked down and held the letter sized paper in his hands.

“Two ballrooms?” the blonde asked with a quirk of a delicate brow and a soft chuckle came from his employer, drawing blue eyes up to his face.

“Balls and large dinners were the main source of social gathering and entertainment back in the day when this place was built,” Sephiroth answered as he took Cloud into the dim light of the foyer where the blonde had entered from the large double doors that made up the front entrance. It was dark inside the house with only minimal lighting, but definitely grandeur at its most opulent. The only way it could have been ritzier was if everything had been constructed of marble or something. But as it stood, the house was wood, and the blonde could only wonder how many trees had been cut and transported to build the manor, though in reality it had probably been built up over generations, one small section at a time. 

The only real flaw Cloud could see outright was how dark the house was, it made seeing the details of the artistic relief in the wood difficult to see. In front of them one left side where they stood outside of his new boss’s study was a curved grand staircase with a stair runner of ornate design that led to a gallery that overlooked the foyer. Following the stairs with his eyes the blonde noticed that the manor got even darker on the upper floor, as if a veil of shadow cloaked the banister running along the exposed hallway across the foyer. A strange feeling of heaviness hung in the air, almost ominous in the way the darkness almost seemed to crawl down the steps toward the foyer floor. A chill settled over his skin, beneath his suit it almost seemed as the hair on his arms stood up and the blonde shivered slightly as he adjusted his footing and pulled his eyes away to stare at the silverette in front of him.

“To our immediate right is a sitting room,” Sephiroth said as Cloud looked over, fighting the chilled air that seemed to slide beneath his clothes like a breath against his skin and spread over his body. In a depression of a few steps was a large room housing some antique furniture in excellent condition centered around a coffee table. There wasn’t much of anything special to it and the blonde wondered what the point of it was, but then again, Sephiroth did say that people primarily gathered for entertainment, so places to sit would no doubt be in high demand. Through the sitting room Cloud could see a more lit up location, but as his boss set off forward past the stairs the blonde followed after him, the chill finally slipping free from him. 

A set of tall double doors stood open, revealing upon closer inspection a library that the blonde’s perhaps less cultured mind made him think of Beauty and The Beast. The bookcases weren’t as grand and two tiered like in the Disney movie, but they rose from the floor all the way to the tall ceiling. In the center of the room were various tables, chairs, and couches for reading, and at the very back of the room were four floor to ceiling windows whose curtains were drawn closed, blanketing the room in heavy shadow with no direct light source in the room to illuminate it other than what spilled in from the hall. Staring into the room the blonde’s eyes caught on some rather opaque corners where the shadows seemed to gather into an almost solid mass. Straining his eyes Cloud stared, trying to make out perhaps some decorative item or other object, but there was no defined shape other than the inky blankness that stretched from the corner, creeping along the walls and floor, stretching across the rugs and furniture on the floor.

“The library,” Sephiroth said, a twitch hitting the young man’s shoulders before he looked up at his employer who wore a smirk. A small laugh broke from the blonde’s mouth as they turned to the right, their shoes thumping softly over the ornate large world rug lain over waxed wood of the floors until they came to a narrower room where the silverette flicked a light switch too and bathed the room in low, yellow light. “This is the parlour room,” Sephiroth said as Cloud peered in at the fine dark furniture against the walls, the room of which was bisected by intricate wooden tables. At the very back up a couple steps was what looked like a grand liquor cabinet. Clearly it was what the blonde would have dubbed as the cigar room. The light flashed off before Cloud could take in more detail as the silverette took to the left and walked past the library, which the blonde did his best to avoid looking into. Something about it just seemed unsettling, though the longer he walked around, the more unsettled Cloud felt in general. 

They passed the back of the stairs into a hallway that curved right and opened into a large billiard room full of windows to his right. Like every other room other than the study though, the curtains were drawn shut, inviting the same oppressive darkness into its ominous corners. Dong his best to ignore the solid masses in the corners the blonde focused on the items in the room, which had everything he could ever need on a Friday night. Even if he was alone it’d entertain him with the dartboards at the back, pool tables in the middle, and of all things, a pinball machine in one of the not so troubling corners, which most definitely looked the most out of place amidst all of the dark, wooden elegance of the manor and its furniture.

“This is the billiard room,” Sephiroth said as he walked deeper into the room and motioned to the left, prompting the blonde to look through a set of open double doors which led into nothing but potent darkness. “The more modern entertainment is that way, featuring a bar, a small kitchen, two bathrooms, and another sitting room.” Cloud’s left hand settled onto his arm as he nodded. Sephiroth turned back around and walked past the blonde, who spun on his feel and followed back through the curved hall, passed the parlour room, and down a grand hallway into what Cloud realized was the more lit up area he had seen through the sitting area by the front door. 

And it was identifiable by the large dining table to the right. The area was spacious and open, which lessened some of the oppressiveness the blonde had been feeling in what he’d seen of the house so far. The dining table was rectangular and naked aside from some candlesticks dotting its center, and behind the table two tall windows rose up, though of course the curtains were drawn. Thankfully the ornate chandeliers hanging overhead the table were on, chasing away the disquieted shadows of the house. Sephiroth led Cloud to the dining table and to a door on the left where a large well lit kitchen with an island sat. The blonde stared at the cabinets, cupboards, the updated stove and oven by which a large fridge sat. Though more modern, the updates had been made with care, preserving the design and flavor of the kitchen.

“This is the kitchen and dining. It’s where we will eat our meals. There is also a stairwell behind a door in the kitchen that leads to the second floor, if you ever had need of it,” the silverette explained before the two left the dining area and stepped into another dim room that Cloud realized was octagonal once he was inside, making sense off the angular walls he’d seen bulging into the dining area. There was a grand fireplace right by the door and in the center was a collection of furniture organized to face each other. On the far end however, Cloud noticed a fully stocked kitchen, cabinets, drawers, stove and oven, even a fridge. The blonde quirked a brow at the sight as he glanced at the door to the far right of the room.

“This is the keeping room. Long ago this was where the original kitchen was located,” Sephiroth informed. “Now, it’s been set up to be used if I were ever to hold a ball. Though I doubt I ever would,” the silverette said as he walked out of the room with Cloud behind him. “The two ballrooms you’ve noticed are above the keeping room. And here-”

“The greenhouse?” the blonde asked when he glanced up from his map and a chuckle issued from the silverette.

“Yes, we are heading to the greenhouse,” Sephiroth informed and Cloud swore he could hear the smile in the man’s voice. “To the right of us is?” The blonde looked down at the paper in his hands. 

“Uh, oh, the downstairs guest room? Wow, it’s got a sitting room and then the actual guest room? The bathroom’s huge,” Cloud muttered in awe.

“Most guests would stay in the detached guest house. So a guest staying in the manor would be someone important,” the silverette explained and the blonde nodded. Cloud looked up from his map, and just as it indicated, there were two double doors that should lead to a gated courtyard. But, they turned to the left of those doors and out into the bright green light of the greenhouse. Finally, a brightly lit place, and it almost hurt his eyes as he took in the small Eden around him. It was warm and humid, but the sight of bright gleaming color filled Cloud’s eyes as the scent of pungent flowers filled his nose soothed away the tension that had been building up in his shoulders. The blonde turned and looked back to see that Sephiroth had stopped at the door, smiling at him with arms crossed over his stomach.

“You like it?” the silverette asked and Cloud felt his cheeks warm as he nodded.

“Yeah. I’ve never really seen a garden like this. It’s huge. My mom grew tomatoes and some choice flowers back home, but not in large quantities,” the blonde said before he turned and returned to his boss.

“It’s where our vegetables and herbs will be grown for our meals,” Sephiroth said as he pulled from the doorway and led Cloud back into the dimness of the house. But as the blonde stepped through the door he looked around with a renewed vigor. The greenhouse had been a breath of fresh hair, and as he stared at the world rug protecting the wax floors Cloud realized that he’d been an idiot. It was an old house with old smells and stuffy air. An open window would and drawn drapes would break the spell of darkness over the manor. There was nothing to be anxious about. Shadows were just shadows, and being scared of them was childish, and he wasn’t a child anymore.

“Upstairs then?” Sephiroth asked.

“Yeah,” the blonde said, suddenly more excited than he should have been. It was a neat house. A piece of history. And when he could actually see it with some light, it was no doubt going to be gorgeous. He may not have been much of an appreciator of art, but Cloud knew when he saw things of beauty. And so the blonde resolved to think about the future, about how he would make himself home in this new territory and conquer its secrets.

Sephiroth led Cloud back to the foyer to give the blonde the chance to use the stairs, and while the blonde would never admit it out loud, it was cool to take the curved stairway up and stare out at the foyer as they ascended. Even though it was dim, he could see more details that he hadn’t noticed before from above, like how the electric sconces looked Victorian, if he was getting his architecture right at all. Or how the large area rug on the floor before the front doors was actually very rich in color. Pulling his eyes from the lower level he ascended into the darkness of the upper level which was remedied when Sephiroth reached the gallery and flipped a switch in the wall, bathing the hall in low, shadow vanquishing light. The silverette then gestured to a hall immediately in front of the stairs.

“This leads exclusively to my room,” Sephiroth said before motioning to the gallery along the banister behind them running along the right side of the foyer. “Back there is a bathroom and the broom closet. You will be needing that closet of course, but I don’t think I need to show you what that looks like,” the silverette said and Cloud nodded as they turned to the right where a string of doors sat facing the foyer overlook. Curiously the blonde looked them over, noting the curved handles that glistened in the low light of the hallway sconces. Cloud paused in front of one, the wood looked a little scratched, but otherwise polished to a shine. A chill brushed over his ankles, down into his shoes and up his pant legs which drew the blonde to look down at the crack beneath the door as his brow furrowed. It seemed like there was an open window on the other side.

“These are all bedrooms,” Sephiroth answered, drawing Cloud’s attention as he pressed on down the hall. The blonde looked back to the door, wondering if he should say something as he reached out and grabbed the gilded handle. He was going to live there, so why not just quickly check and see if it was an open window? He was going to be house security, so if a window was open he should investigate. His fingers tightened around the smooth metal he pulled down to the right but the handle stopped short, rattling instead and Cloud felt his heart tense a moment in his chest. Locked. Oh. He glanced down at the bottom of the door again and his heart stopped when he thought he heard something on the other side, some sort of brush against the floor? Cloud stared, eyes going wide as his heart began to slowly pound in his ears. Would he see something? What was he waiting for? He needed to speak up. To say something. If someone was in there, shouldn’t Sephiroth be notified? And just beneath the frame of wood on the floor, Cloud almost jumped when he saw something small, something just over the edge of the dark wood, but when he squinted he saw nothing. It was dark, perhaps his eyes were playing tricks on him?

“You don’t need to be in there.” Sephiroth’s harsh voice sent a bolt through the blonde and a gasp caught in his throat as he jerked wide blue eyes up to his right where the silverette stood, lips set into a thin, straight line with both hands settled over the top of his cane between his feet. Cloud blinked, suddenly feeling warm, and realizing after it had passed that he had been cold, freezing even as he stepped, almost stumbled from the door a couple steps.

“S-sorry?” the blonde muttered as he lowered his forehead into his right hand when a strange throb pulsed through his skull. “I thought maybe there was a window open. I, I don’t know what the hell I was thinking,” Cloud said before he jerked his gaze up toward Sephiroth, the planes of his face looking entirely too cold. Panic surged through the blonde as he turned to face his hopefully still agreeable employer.

“I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. If there’s anything you don’t want me to do, please say so. I’ve never been a rule breaker,” the blonde declared, speech rushed. After a second the tension in the silverette’s face relaxed and Sephiroth’s lips curved up into a soft smile.

“You’re wanting to do your job already, are you?” the silverette asked before chuckling as he relaxed his stance, shoulders relaxing as he turned away from Cloud. “There are some areas that will be restricted to you for personal reasons that I will not divulge. If you can live with that, we can continue on with your tour. If not, perhaps it’s best you leave,” Sephiroth said as he turned his face, speaking over his shoulder as his hair fell forward, obscuring his face. Anxiety pulsed the blonde’s heart as he hurried his steps up to his boss’s back.

“I’m good! You want your privacy, and I respect that. Whatever you want me to stay away from, I will. It’s your house after all,” the blonde said. With a node, Sephiroth turned his face forward and they resumed, passing doors the gallery opened up into a loft area with some seating and a couple small bookcases. In the wall along the end of the loft was a door that the silverette pointed to.

“That is a full bathroom, the one you will use to bathe yourself,” Sephiroth explained as if the tense exchange hadn’t occurred and Cloud nodded, heart still beating slightly fast. They passed the loft into a short hallway at the end of which the blonde saw a short hallway to the right that led to a door. Looking at his map he realized it was where the stairway from the kitchen that led up to the upstairs led to. By that was the utilities room, somewhere Cloud would no doubt need to get acquainted with. And in front of him according to his map was…

“A drawing room and a music room? Does it have a piano?” Cloud asked and the silverette chuckled.

“Yes. Do you play?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde looked to the floor even though the silverette’s back was to him.

“Yeah. Uh, not good, but decent I guess,” Cloud said and another chuckle came from his boss.

“I would like to hear. I’m quite adept with the piano. I could even help you practice, if you wanted,” Sephiroth offered and though the blonde thought to outright reject the offer he swallowed the words.

“Uh, okay?” Cloud wasn’t sure why he felt like he had to agree. Maybe he was worried about being rude? They turned to the left down a wide hallway where there was a series of doors to their left, only three this time, and one door at the very end on the right. More bedrooms and oh, a convenient bathroom. There was a large room above the bedrooms though, and try as he might Cloud couldn’t see any door leading to it on the map or in front of him.

“Something wrong, Cloud?” Sephiroth asked as he turned to face the blonde who gave him a quizzical look.

“Just, there’s all this space that looks like it could be a room. Am I reading the map wrong?” the blonde asked as he lifted the paper to show the silverette and pointed to the half octagonal room just past the line of three bedrooms. Sephiroth smiled and nodded.

“Oh, you’re quite right. It used to be a children’s playroom long ago. But I’m afraid there was a tragedy there and a descendant of the original builder of this home had it sealed off and remodeled this section of the wing so as to avoid ever having to see the room again,” the silverette explained and Cloud awkwardly lowered the map, a frown on his lips.

“Wow, must have been bad to go through all that trouble,” the blonde said and Sephiroth walked the few paces between them and placed a hand on Cloud’s strong shoulder.

“In a house this old there’s bound to be tragedy in it. The man’s two children jumped out the window and though the fall didn’t kill them, they died before anything could be done to help them,” Sephiroth explained and the blonde’s brow furrowed, genuinely disheartened by the story.

“Damn, that’s just sad,” Cloud said before he took a breath and released it, straightening his back which had somewhat slacked during the interaction.

“It’s in the past,” Sephiroth said before he pulled his hand free and faced to the left while motioning out with his cane to the doors. “Either of these three rooms can be yours.” The blonde looked to his left and turned to face his choices even as the uncomfortable thought entered his mind that he was going to sleep in a room not very far from where some kids had jumped to their death; it was definitely not a pleasant thought.

“I’ll take the middle then,” Cloud answered without much thought.

“Oh? Why is that?” the silverette asked as he faced the blonde and the blonde shrugged.

“I have the option of three things. I’ll take the middle rather than debate over which side I want to be on,” Cloud declared and Sephiroth’s smile grew.

“You tend to be rather middle of the road, don’t you?” he asked and the blonde smirked as he looked up at his boss.

“Yeah, and everyone always complains,” Cloud informed and Sephiroth chuckled.

“Well then, Cloud Strife. When shall I expect for you to move in?” the silverette asked, changing the topic and Cloud relaxed his smirk.

“As soon as possible. My lease on my studio is almost up and I don’t have enough to pay another month’s rent anyway. So, I’ll be packing things up and moving up here as soon as possible. Maybe in a week?”

“That’s perfectly doable for me,” Sephiroth answered and then Cloud paused, realizing an important question.

“Is it okay if my friend Zack helps me move in? He’s been nagging me to tell him when I move out. But, I can turn him down if you don’t want anyone else in here,” the blonde said and Sephiroth paused in thought a moment before he smiled.

“If it’s just him, then fine. I do ask you to tell him to be mindful of his activity. This house is old and has many priceless antiques,” the silverette explained and Cloud nodded, grateful.

“I’ll definitely tell him. Thanks so much.”

"Unfortunately, the sun has not set enough for me to take you to the guest house. But if it's acceptable to you, you can visit it any time you want once you move in," Sephiroth informed and the blonde turned a curious look to the silverette who simply graced him with a smile. Slowly, Cloud gave a nod and then brought a smile to his lips.

"Sure."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No warnings for this chapter.
> 
> Cloud's map:


	2. Encounter 2: The Doll Settles In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud moves in and grapples with the changes to his lifestyle and the creepiness of what lies beyond each door in the house.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone. I hope you are all doing well! 
> 
> Unfortunately, still being a slow burn a bit here, but there's some creepy moments sprinkled in. I've always thought good horror needed a good, strong build up of atmosphere and tension along with a strong foundation, so I hope I'm getting that here. 
> 
> And thank you to my wonderful beta [PhoenixHideki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixHideki/pseuds/PhoenixHideki) for giving this a look over. lol
> 
> I do have a playlist I've made for this fic that has a lot of ambient music that I've been listening to when I write, and I thought I'd share for anyone curious to check it out. 
> 
> Playlist/soundtrack
> 
> In This Moment: [In The Air Tonight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZS2O4dXFXE)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Blood Pulse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onHdoaxTdPw)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Warped Mind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkurXmkUFTg)  
> Ayako Toyoda: [ Another Hallway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trkYXmTvlro&list=PLD0B2C600CB0FEF64&index=4)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Only a Nightmare ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEWLDJc2YDE)  
> Mikko Tarmia: [ Darkness](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8jFc2Wmfcs)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Prisonic Fairytale ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk-3uAkcPXQ)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Wail of Warning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrWsWNOOfuQ)  
> Marilyn Manson: [ Born Villain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06LXBa-MbH0)  
> The Birthday Massacre: [ Surrender](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB0UzaGbUUY)  
> I hope everyone enjoys this second chapter here!
> 
> **Chapter warnings at the end of chapter to avoid spoilers for those who do not want them.**

“So, this is the new place?” Cloud looked up from the back of Zack’s car at the question, back still bent and arms around a box. His eyes settled on the back of his friend’s tall, built frame wrapped in a tight black t-shirt and dark jeans, matching him actually. The ravenette pulled his eyes from up high on the massive frame that blocked the noon day sun and spilled shadow over the duo.

“Uh, duh,” the blonde responded as two bright blue eyes caught his own before a grin spread Zack’s lips and he chuckled as his right hand settled on his hip. The only real difference in clothes was that Zack’s shirt sported a cartoony chocobo on the front while Cloud’s was the logo of a hard rock band.

“Dumb question, sorry,” the ravenette said as he walked over to join Cloud at the back of his beat up, blue, four-door sedan and grabbed another box from the overstuffed back. The two straightened and walked toward the towering structure of the manor with its empty dark windows and down the cobblestone path leading to the stone steps of the porch. The pair barely made it to the ornate doors before the right side swung open, revealing the woman Cloud remembered from his first day. Thin, almost too thin was her frame as her head moved sluggishly while dull blue eyes lifted to meet the blonde’s gaze. Somehow, she had seemed a lot… less dead when he’d last seen her.

“Mr. Strife,” her low voice spilled from her thin, red painted lips in a haggard breath before her gaze slid up toward the tall form of Zack.

“The friend,” the blonde woman stated flatly before she grabbed the side of the door and pulled it open. Briefly did the blonde wonder if he should offer to help, but the door was open before he could bring the words to life. Scarlet looked at the two then and her bone thin arm lifted from the side of her ill fitting red sweater and knee length black skirt, elbow out before her arm straightened out and her palm fell open in some sort of lazy gesture toward the inside of the house. The two men shared a look with each other as the woman’s head sluggishly turned toward the door, her body remaining still in its position against the entrance.

“Inside,” she said in a flat voice devoid of energy. Awkward, the two stepped inside before the door closed with a loud, echoing thunk. Taking a breath, Cloud shook himself and took the lead.

“I’m upstairs,” the blonde said as he went for the grand staircase and Zack followed his lead, leaving Scarlet behind at the door. Out of curiosity both men looked over the banister once part way up the stays and sure enough, the blonde woman stood still at the door, almost looking like a statue. Or mannequin. 

“She’s kinda creepy,” Zack said, sliding his eyes up to the blonde higher up the steps and Cloud shook his head, brow tensed in confusion as he resumed his climb up the stairs to the gallery before walking to the right.

“I swear she wasn’t like that when I met her. I mean, she seemed tired, but not… like that,” Cloud said as they walked through the loft area and turned to the left where a door in the middle of two others stood open in welcome. The blonde only paused for a moment before he turned inside and stopped upon entry. The room was larger than he thought it’d be, but not at long as it had looked on the map. Against the wall to the right just off the middle of the room was a large canopy bed dressed in what looked like a heavy bedspread, red wine in color and sporting many intricate golden swirling designs. Two dark wood tables of curving shape sat on either side of it, the side closest to the blonde housing an antique lamp that sat switched on to allow low, yellow light to filter through the stained glass flowers pieced together in its glass shade. There was a large armchair by the door on the left, and by that in the corner of the room was a small chifferobe. At the far back of the room a writing desk sat in the right hand corner with a simple wood chair. On the left side of the wall from the back corner stretching to the middle the room was a long, low elegant chest of drawers. Opposite of the bed was a small fireplace with a simple mantel that the blonde stared at in surprise. He got a fireplace in his room? Zack gave a low whistle.

“The digs, for your grandma,” the ravenette said as the blonde finally pushed himself to move and walked into the room. It was so dark, even with the lamp on the corners of the room were uncomfortably dark. It seemed shadow was a persistent theme in the house, though Cloud reasoned it had to do with the building’s age. It wasn’t like it would be easy to fit such a large, old house with modern convenience, and it was possible that the old circuitry didn’t allow for high power consumption. Which didn’t bode well if he ever wanted to try and use electronics. Perhaps he should have asked more questions about his standard of living expectations. In the same thought however, Cloud realized he was being a bit of a twenty-first century brat too. The blonde set his box on the bed and let himself sink down next to it, finding the mattress quite bouncy and squeaky beneath him and his friend laughed as he put his identical burden next to his friend’s.

“Well, it’s good you never really collected a lot of shit. You really got everything taken care of here, even your bedding,” Zack said conversationally as he walked over and let himself sink into the Ottoman armchair. Leaning back on his hands Cloud looked up at the wood beams that made up his ceiling with a frown of discomfort.

“I knew this place was going to take some adjustment, but it’s looking like it’ll be more than I thought,” the blonde said and Zack chuckled.

“Hey, it’s not like you signed your life away in this place. You’re getting paid and you get all your basic needs met. When you save enough, you can look for another job and move out. I’m sure your boss would understand,” the ravenette suggested and Cloud gave a slow nod. Taking in a deep inhale that smelled intimately of wood, wax, and cotton, the blonde released a sigh and stood up.

“By the way, where is this boss of yours?” Zack asked and Cloud shrugged.

“I don’t know. And I’m not gonna go look for the guy to pester him,” the blonde informed and the ravenette took his turn to give a shrug.

“Yeah, makes sense,” his friend concurred.

“Let’s get the rest of my stuff in,” Cloud suggested and Zack stood as well with a smile.

“Sure! And then maybe go back to that roadside diner we saw way back,” the ravenette suggested and the blonde gave him a lingering, unimpressed look. “What?”

“It was like an hour and a half back. No thanks,” Cloud said as he took point and led the way out of the bedroom and back the way they’d come.

“Oh, come on, my treat!” Zack said, voice raising in volume to the point the blonde spun on his heel and pressed his index finger to his lips, prompting his friend to slap his hands over his mouth.

“Does he care about volume?” the ravenette asked. Cloud shrugged.

“I have no idea. But I mean, inside voices still count, right? Besides, it feels like you’ll disturb the air in this place if you’re too loud. You know?” the blonde said as they resumed walking.

“Okay,” Zack said with a prolonging of the vowel sounds, “still didn’t resolve our dispute. Why not go to that diner for a meal? I mean, it won’t cost you nothin’,” the ravenette bartered.

“Not that long of a car drive for one meal. You’re asking for three, four hours just to eat,” Cloud said sensibly as they went down the stairs, finding to their surprise that Scarlet was still at the door, in the exact position they’d left her in. When they reached the foyer the woman turned then, as if activated, and pulled the left side door open for them to pass through.

“Oh, come on, man! I’m not gonna see you for who knows how long! You yourself said this guy was really strict! Why can’t I have a four hour dinner with my pal?” Zack asked, whining as his face took on his rather famous kicked puppy look that Cloud did his best to not look at.

“We can see each other, just not at the main house. But really, you’re acting just like Tifa. I don’t need everyone always looking out for me like I’m helpless,” the blonde declared, a smidgen of resentment in his chest.

“It’s not that,” Zack said, his voice dropping into a hurt whimper. “I’m just gonna miss you man,” the ravenette said, voice softening as he walked up to the blonde and slung his arm over Cloud’s small but sturdy shoulders.

“I know, Zack. I’m gonna miss you too,” the blonde sighed when they stopped at the side of the car with its open back. “I’m gonna miss technology I think,” Cloud admitted. “Even though it’s really crappy, I do get cell service. So we can still keep contact. I mean, geeze Zack, you’re not my boyfriend,” the blonde said as he pulled his friend’s arm from off of his shoulders and looked into his face. A showy frown dipped the ravenette’s lips as his hands stuffed into the back pockets of his jeans as his head hung, a foot rubbing into the gravel of the road leading up the manor.

“Fine. Just wasn’t ready to say bye yet,” Zack pouted.

“Goodbye’s suck. But, I’ll see you soon,” Cloud promised and with a heavy sigh his friend lifted his head and nodded before they went to the back of Zack’s car again and grabbed more boxes. Once all of the boxes had taken over the blonde’s new bed, he walked Zack back to his car and then gave a somewhat awkward goodbye before the ravenette climbed into his car and pulled from the manor while the blonde lingered and watched his friend drive away until he couldn’t see him anymore. With a sigh, Cloud entered the manor again, thanked Scarlet for her help, and returned to his room. Standing in front of his bed, the blonde heaved a softer sigh and opened his first box. Clothes were folded and put into the chest of drawers, his gym equipment ended up in the bottom of his chifferobe with a pair of boots along, his a long coat and leather jacket on the hangers already hanging within.

By the time Cloud got all his stuff put away and placed neatly on the open surfaces in the room, he sat on the edge of his bed and leaned back on his hands, fingers brushing over the thick bedspread when a lump caught his attention. The blonde paused and twisted a look over his shoulder, eyes falling to an unnatural, but small lump in the bedspread between the two pillows he hadn’t noticed. Curious, Cloud leaned onto his right hip, twisted around and pulled the bedspread back in the middle, revealing a tuft of somewhat stiff yellow threads, and then a small, smooth white face. Heart jumping into his throat, Cloud grabbed the small eight inch craft by the trunk and pulled it out. The body was soft, looking to be woven of yarn, but the hands, legs, and head were solid and plastic with surprising detail. The head that stared back at him made the blonde pause however. The blonde hair was styled, and from the way the large and small spikes of yellow clumped together made it clear it was an exact replica to his own hair. There was no mistaking it, Cloud’s hair was too identifiable and unique for it to be a coincidence. To further add to it were the soft indications of full lips and painted in blue eyes framed in a representation of thick lashes staring back at him, lifeless.

The blonde turned the small doll over in his hand, and after grabbing the sides of the head with his fingers he found the doll’s head actually swivelled on some sort of base for the neck. Cloud frowned and realized that the doll staring back at him also looked like it was brooding from the way the delicately painted brows angled, an expression he was teased about for always wearing. A chill broke out across the blonde’s skin, making his body hair stand on end as he stared at the oddly delicate and faithful reproduction of his softer features before shivering when he realized a cold draft had settled on his back. Twisting around Cloud frowned, there was no window or place for a draft to come at his backside. Standing up the blonde stepped away and immediately felt warm again, and pursed his lips as his brows drew together.

A growl in his stomach rumbled as a wave of hunger picked up at him. With a sigh Cloud walked over and put the doll on his chest of drawers against the wall to support it and walked out of his room, closing the door behind as he did so. If he remembered right, there was a stairway into the kitchen just straight down from him between the utilities room and bathroom. Even though it was weird to go into the kitchen on his own, he hadn’t seen Sephiroth and he had no idea where Scarlet would be, though perhaps she was still frozen at the door. Stuffing his hands into his jean pockets, Cloud made his way for the door that led down into the kitchen. He’d been told about it, so he must be able to use it, right?

The blonde made his way to the door and paused before it as he watched the low light of the wall sconces reflect off of its dark, polished surface. Grabbing the handle and twisting, Cloud pulled the door open with great ease, so easy it was almost as if the door weighed nothing before peering down into a pitch black maw. Reaching his hand inside, the blonde searched for a light switch on the wall and frowned when he realized he felt nothing aside from what he surmised was wallpaper. It would be unnatural for the left side to house a switch, but still he stepped into the barrier of thick darkness and slid his left hand along the wall, once again only feeling wallpaper and some bubbles of where the material was not so snug. With a frown pursing his lips Cloud pulled his hand back, brushing something fleshing and firm along the way and he gasped- _fingers!_ -, jerking his arm back wildly as he stuttered a step. Eyes wide and heart racing the blonde grabbed for his phone, absolutely certain he had felt a finger or something. Flashing his phone light on Cloud turned it into the darkness, but all that greeted him was a set of steep stairs lacking any runner and flowery wallpaper of blues and greens. Stepping back further Cloud stared down at his feet, bringing himself to calm before he looked back into the gaping maw behind the door. Maybe he’d imagined it? Shaking himself, the blonde quickly, as if afraid to touch the door, pushed it closed and flinched when it thwacked harder than he’d intended. Quickly, he spun on his heel, heart still hitting hard in his chest as he walked to the loft, across the gallery while ignoring the prickling feeling at the base of his spine when he remembered his creepy encounter with one of the doors there, and hurried down the stairs into the main foyer. What was with this house and doors?

“Why in such a hurry?” a deep, rumbling voice called when Cloud reached the large world rug spread over the foyer floor and gasped again, strong shoulders bunching briefly as he jerked himself to look in the direction of the library. Sephiroth almost seemed to separate from the shadows as his long body all in black stepped from under the galley stretching overhead in front of the library and parlour room. Dressed in a simple black blazer, matching dress shirt and black slacks the man of conversation materialized. His cane hung from his arm as he walked forward, though every once in a while it would let out a low scrape against the floor as he approached. Cloud stared, breath caught for a long moment before he relaxed his shoulders and took a breath, his heart pulsing hard in his ears.

“Got spooked,” the blonde informed in as careless of a tone as he could muster. A handsome smile curved the silverette’s lips as he brushed some long lengths of his smooth hair over behind his shoulder and stopped within a couple feet of the younger man.

“So I see. Hear something strange? See anything… creepy?” Sephiroth asked and an awkward smile curved Cloud’s full lips.

“Uh, got spooked at that other stairway. I was getting hungry and thought I’d see what that stairway was like. I couldn’t find the switch and touched something I thought was human, but I saw nothing when I turned my phone light on,” the blonde explained and the silverette nodded as he started walking again, leisure in his pace as he headed toward the sitting room by the front door.

“Perhaps you should have used your phone light at the start?” Sephiroth asked, a teasing tone to his voice and Cloud felt his cheeks warm as he followed behind his boss.

“Yeah, I could have. But, I didn’t, and got spooked,” the blonde said with a shrug. “Guess that teaches me, huh?” A chuckle was the response he got as they stepped down into the sitting room and Cloud turned his head to what he knew from the outside was a large lattice bay window at the front of the house, but thick curtains were draped over it, blocking the light. There was no natural light anywhere.

“Next time you’ll know better. The light switch is at the bottom of the stairs, since it was originally a servants passage to the bedrooms,” Sephiroth informed and Cloud nodded his head from side to side, an off kilter curve to his lips in an almost snarky way even though he couldn’t be seen. As they walked up the couple steps to enter the dining area the blonde paused, looked at the window on the far right, and then at the silverette’s back.

“Why are all the curtains closed all the time?”

“Unfortunately, I suffer from photophobia,” Sephiroth informed and as Cloud opened his mouth to say something in surprise, the silverette continued. “And despite what the name suggests, it’s not a fear of photographs or light. My eyes are unable to handle light and it causes me great pain if it ever reaches my vision.” Sephiroth turned then and smiled, the curve almost teasingly sensual across his lips as he tapped the rim of his dark sunglasses with his left pointer finger. “It’s why I always wear these. It’s easier in here with the low light, but even that sometimes gives me headaches. I also can’t have you fumbling around in the dark, can I?” Sephiroth said with a chuckle as he turned around and started walking into the dining area. Sympathy washed through the blonde, a frown dipping his lips as his brows furrowed while he tried to think of a way to respond. But before he could say anything more, his boss was speaking again.

“You said you were hungry, didn’t you? It’s almost dinner time. I’ll prepare us some dinner,” Sephiroth announced and Cloud watched the silverette disappear through the doorway into the kitchen past the dining table.

“Aren’t I supposed to cook?” he asked as he hurried after the man and stopped on the threshold into the kitchen.

“Cooking is one thing I can do myself. Ever since I had the stove custom altered to electric heating pads, I can actually indulge in one of my favorite hobbies,” Sephiroth said with a lightness in his voice as he grabbed a couple pots from the hanging rack over the island in the center of the room and set them on the stove with a soft metal thunk.

“Cooking is a hobby, huh?” Cloud asked.

“Mhm, otherwise cooking would have been listed as a required skill, which wasn’t there, was it?” Sephiroth asked and sheepishly Cloud looked to the floor and pouted.

“No, it wasn’t,” he muttered.

“If you’d like to help though, I wouldn’t turn you away. In fact, if you would like to, you can get things out of the fridge for me,” Sephiroth offered and the blonde perked up, heart kicking a little in his chest as he walked across the kitchen, around the outside of the island and to the refrigerator.

“There should be some chicken thawing in the fridge. I’ll need that along with a jar that should say lemon on it, though you may need your phone,” the silverette said and Cloud nodded as he opened the fridge. A breath of cold air fell over him, and to his surprise, though it probably should have been expected, the fridge was dark. Shaking himself of the odd visual Cloud found a plastic wrapped plate of chicken on the second to bottom row and pulled it out before crouching down to examine bottles. There were various ones, all with differing lid colors he noticed. Each jar was scribbled across, and after a brief, hard squint the blonde found the one labeled lemon and pulled it out.

“Can you see in the dark or something?” Cloud asked, genuinely curious. Sephiroth chuckled as he poured some oil in one pan before he turned and walked a couple feet along the counter to a layered series of hanging baskets and grabbed some potatoes and what looked like garlic from two different tiers.

“No, but there’s enough light in here for me to see. Perhaps because I’m used to it I notice the faint shades of color on the lids and use that to direct myself. And I can read the labels when I bring them close enough, especially if I relieve myself of my sunglasses for a moment.” Cloud nodded, impressed as he handed over the chilled lemon juice. “If I had to, I can smell or taste things to be sure,” Sephiroth added with a smile.

“Um, anything else I can do?” the blonde asked.

“Are you interested in broccoli or carrots with dinner?” the silverette asked and Cloud shrugged.

“Broccoli, I guess,” was his response and his boss nodded as he motioned back to the fridge.

“Then get the small slotted basket with the broccoli from the bottom of the fridge,” Sephiroth instructed and turning back around and crouching down again, the blonde grabbed a basket from the bottom of the fridge next to a bundle of twine bound carrots and straightened as he closed the door. Noticing the silverette had taken a spot by the stove with a cutting board and a knife, Cloud slid the basket of broccoli onto the island and backed away a few feet before stuffing his hands into his back pockets, fingering his wallet in his right pocket as he watched his boss set into the clearly practiced motions of slicing the potatoes.

“I always leave the skins on for their added vitamins,” Sephiroth informed and a small smile quirked the blonde’s lips.

“Yeah, my mom always did too unless they were old; she’d skin them then,” Cloud answered and his boss nodded.

“I do the same,” the silverette said before he paused and turned his shaded eyes over toward the blonde.

“You could go get the house keys from Scarlet. She should be resting in her room, the last door on the gallery on the way to your room. I’m good here,” Sephiroth suggested and Cloud paused, a frown to his lips as he hesitantly turned and walked out the door leading to the dining table.

“Okay,” he said as he passed through the threshold, lingering as his eyes cast to the silverette’s back while he chopped on the cutting board before reluctantly walking away. Hands in his pockets, Cloud took a deep breath and released it before he walked through the dark house back toward the grand staircase, glancing at the covered windows as he did so. Well, at least it made sense for them to be covered. Up the stairs and at the fourth door in the row the blonde paused, chewing the inside of his top lip before taking a breath through the nose and knocking on the door. No sound came and Cloud’s brows furrowed. Perhaps Scarlet was asleep? The young man looked back to the grand staircase, debating on returning to his boss to inform him of his failure, but the doorknob rattled, drawing the blonde’s eyes down as the long handle turned down and the door popped open with a slow, whiny creak. Stepping back, Cloud froze when he found himself in the sights of Scarlet’s glassy, unfocused eyes. His throat tightened as an icy chill settled over his flesh when the woman released a wheezing breath. She looked even worse than a couple hours ago. Her face was creased in so many more lines and almost waxy in color as her deflated red lips trembled before parting. Her hair looked somehow more gray in the light that hit her back from inside the room as Cloud stared, lips almost flapping soundlessly as he struggled to grasp his thoughts. How the hell did she deteriorate even more over such a short time?

“Yes?” the woman wheezed out like death and the blonde felt his heart twist sharp in his chest as he took a breath and fought against the shudder he felt in his spine. Why was her room so cold? He could feel it seeping from inside, almost as if reaching for him and wrapping around him.

“Sephiroth told me to get the keys from you?” Cloud asked, unsure why he felt the need to inflect himself in question. The woman turned slow, as if she had aged even more since he’d last seen her and walked back into the bedroom. He hesitated, not wanting to step into the cold box of the room or be alone around such a disquieting woman, but steeled himself and stepped in, right through a barrier of ice. Cloud’s shoulders tensed as he stepped into the frigid air, confused as he glanced back at the gallery where it had been a pleasant temperature. Rubbing his hands down his arms, the blonde followed Scarlet to her dresser where an ornately carved box sat out, as if she had been waiting to use it.

Cloud looked around the room briefly to keep himself from staring at her bony frame wrapped in a dress she was too skinny for; she was all sharp angles instead of curves, making her look like a woman right at death’s door, or a ghoul who just climbed out of her coffin. The bedroom was pretty much exactly like his own, though there were more feminine looking draperies on the bed. The blonde froze when he caught sight of a doll roughly eight inches long sitting on the cushion of the chair by the door. Seized by sudden and strong curiosity Cloud walked over to the chair and hunched over to get a good look at it. It was a woman judging by the swell of breasts on the figure. The face was elegantly rendered with a noble nose, sharp eyes and full red painted lips. The doll actually looked a little mean. The blonde hair atop the dolls head Cloud realized, was twisted up with the tail of hair up in the air, exactly like Scarlet’s. Glancing back at the woman who seemed to be almost moving at a snail’s pace opening the box on her dresser, he confirmed so. His brow tightened. The doll in his room looked so much like him, and the hair was undeniable. Just like this one, but the Scarlet he saw was waning in life, she looked absolutely sickly and worn to the ground. Was working for Sephiroth that taxing? Straightening his back Cloud turned toward the blonde woman who now stood, still as a statue like she had before at the front door, but her right rested over something, perhaps the keys on the dresser top.

“So, how is it working for Sephiroth?” he asked as he stepped up to the woman, slow and careful so as to not surprise her if she had fallen into thought.

“It’s almost time for me,” Scarlet said, her voice a monotone, creaking wheeze. Cloud flinched as his heart gave into a little bit of an anxious race before calming.

“Almost time?” he asked as he stopped behind the woman and waited for an answer. “For what?” he added when he received no reply. A moment of silence filled the chilled room and the blonde shuddered, squeezing his arms as a white cloud of misty breath left his lips and he gasped, suddenly so cold his fingertips almost felt ice and he shivered hard.

“Hey, I think something is wrong with your room. We need to leave,” Cloud said with a chatter to his teeth as he grabbed Scarlet’s shoulder and her face snapped over to look at him with a loud crunch. The blonde gasped and stumbled back, eyes wide as the woman’s wide open, bloodshot eyes bore into his own before she turned toward him, almost jerking in her movements. Cloud’s knees bent, prepared to bolt for the door as a rush of adrenaline shot his heart when suddenly a hand snapped with a crack toward him. Scarlet faced him, holding up a large key ring of various keys that jingled sharp in his ears.

“The keys, take them,” Scarlet said, more force to her voice than he could have imagined her capable of. Swallowing past the hard slam of his heart, Cloud stared wide-eyed as he took a few cautious steps forward, but kept his distance as he extended his arm out fully, palm up. The large collection of keys jangled as they dropped into his palm and he closed his fingers what he could around them before Scarlet turned from him with less jerking, but still entirely too stiff.

“It’s time for me to go now. I trust you will take good care of Sephiroth for me,” Scarlet said, her voice slowing and growing into another soft, wheezing, exhausted sigh as she walked to her bed. Cloud watched, astonished as the blonde woman laid down on the side of the bed furthest from him on top of the bedspread, fully dressed in her red dress and high heels. Had she been lying down fully dressed when he’d come in? Why did she look like she was going to a cocktail party? Taking another breath of icy air the blonde tore his eyes from the bizarre sight, walked to the door, and closed it behind him. Immediately warmth settled over his skin and soothed his fingertips and nose as he walked down the gallery, eager to be away from those creepy rooms. In the foyer, Cloud took a relieved breath before he walked through the sitting room and into the dining area where he could hear the sounds of the kitchen in use. The blonde paused when he realized he still had the keys in his hand and hooked his fingers through the thick iron ring and turned his palm up to look at them all. Various sizes and lengths, including some really ornate key wards and bits. The sheer number of them was a bit overwhelming, but with a steadying breath Cloud walked to the dining table and turned left into the kitchen.

“Got the keys,” he informed and Sephiroth hummed.

“I can hear them,” the silverette said with a chuckle. “I actually have a small pamphlet that will help you identify which key is which to give you, but you don’t need to worry about that today since you’re just settling in,” his boss informed and Cloud nodded as he slid the keys into his back pocket, frowning when he realized just how heavy they were when they pulled on his pants and made a large ball in his pocket. Definitely belt loop keys, he may need a belt too. Redirecting himself, Cloud walked up to the island and leaned on his forearms and clasped his hands together as he watched Sephiroth cook over the electric stove.

“Is Scarlet leaving? She seems really sick,” the blonde said, voice catching just slightly in the afterthought. Perhaps he shouldn’t say anything. It wasn’t his business.

“Yes, unfortunately she is retiring. She’ll be gone very early tomorrow morning. She’s been being treated for lung cancer the past few years and I finally told her that it would be best if she moved back with her family where she is closer to her doctors. She refused to leave until I found someone to replace her, which unfortunately has put her in very terrible shape. But, her family will be taking care of her starting tomorrow so we can hope for the best in her recovery,” Sephiroth informed and Cloud frowned in guilt. It did perhaps explain a lot, though he couldn’t help but think perhaps there was something else going on too.

“Would you set the table?” Sephiroth asked as he lifted a lid off of a deep, boiling pot and used a fork to puncture something inside, probably the potatoes. “The dishes are in the China cabinets behind you.” Cloud turned and looked to the wall behind him where various kitchen cabinets were pressed to the wall and looked through the glass doors of each, and found differing sets in each. A chuckle caught his ear. “Choose a set you like, the glasses, silverware, place mats, and napkins will all be in the drawers beneath.” Not really having any preference the blonde opened the one he was in front of and paused when he started to reach for a plate.

“Will Scarlet eat with us?” he asked.

“No, it will be just us. Scarlet is resting for her trip,” his boss informed and with a nod, Cloud grabbed two plates and went about picking up all the needed pieces he supposed Sephiroth expected to have set. It’d been forever since he’d set a place at dinner, and it certainly wasn’t a fancy set up. He could only hope he wouldn’t get deducted points for not being able to tell the difference between the dinner fork and the salad fork.

The plates Cloud ended up choosing had gold foiling along the edges and inner rim of the plates. The place mats were thick pure white cotton with some stitching detail so small he had to squint to see flowers. The napkins were also thick and white, smooth against his hands.

“Grab some wine glasses too, please,” Sephiroth suggested when the blonde was about to grab the tall glasses in a drawer. Cloud paused and looked up through the dim light to see the silverette nod his head in the direction to the left side of the counter where the blonde noticed for the first time a hanging wine glass rack over the counter end by the wall. With a nod Cloud walked over into the dining room and gently unloaded his burden before he walked over by his boss and reached up to slide two crystal wine glasses free while casting a glance at the man’s profile. Feeling a slight eruption of butterflies Cloud walked back to the dining room before he returned for the glasses and the gold plated silverware neatly organized in one of the cabinet drawers. Once back at the dining table the blonde stared at the long rectangular table and pursed his lips with indecision. Should they be on opposite ends like in movies? It always seemed stupid and impractical when he saw it in period movies.

“You can set a place at the end of the table by the window and on its right,” Sephiroth’s called softly, voice drifting from the kitchen and saving Cloud from having to wrack his brain and quickly the blonde went about setting the table as best as his lower middle-class upbringing told him about high class society, which was basically nothing. In the end Cloud decided to divide to put each fork on opposite sides of the plate and the knife with the fork and spoon, cringing in the thought he had it wrong. Finished, he walked back into the kitchen, crossed his arms over his stomach and leaned his shoulder against the door frame while he watched Sephiroth as the man turned one burner off and slid one pot to the back burner while bringing the one behind forward.

“You can sit at the table and relax,” the silverette suggested and though Cloud thought to try and say something, to make conversation, he found his tongue heavy in his mouth and with a quiet sigh stood up straight and took his place in his chair. Once sat down he decided to see if Zack had texted him after he’d put his phone to silent and frowned when he saw not a single message and barely any service. Go figure. When he’d been leaving his interview it had taken nearly twenty minutes of walking down the forty-five minute driveway on his way back to the highway to get his first notification. The house was almost a dead zone, but perhaps the upper floor would have better reception, which left Cloud with the resolve to check again in his bedroom or just upstairs in general. So instead he opted to play solitaire on his phone until the sound of feet softly stepping across polished wood drew the blonde’s eyes up to the entrance of the kitchen to see Sephiroth appear with a smile, a platter in one hand and a serving bowl in the other.

“Dinner is about to be served,” the silverette said with a lilt to his voice as he set the platter of gorgeous lemon peppered chicken and the mashed potatoes down in the middle of the area on the end of the table where they were set up to eat. Sephiroth spun on his heel and Cloud watched the silvery strands weave with awe as the man turned out of sight. How difficult was it to take care of hair like that? To keep it looking so good? Unfortunately the blonde’s spiky locks refused to cooperate when it came to length and he feared they would never actually flatten if he tried to have long hair, the last thing Cloud wanted was to have a mullet with a spiky front and long waves in the back. Maybe at Sephiroth’s length of hair past his knees his hair would finally lay flat, but it’d be years of lumpy hair and gel to fight through his hair’s potential awkward teen phase. Well, it wasn’t like he had the patience to maintain long hair anyway. Luckily due to his hair’s strange genetics all Cloud ever had to do was run a brush through his hair and he was set, it took extreme lack of care for his spikes to ever knot. 

Sephiroth returned with another serving bowl along with serving spoons and a fork for the food and a butter dish clenched in the long fingers that held the serving utensils. Each was placed neatly and Cloud nervously stood out, his chair pushing out behind him when the backs of his legs hit the seat. His boss disappeared again only to return with a pitcher of water that clinked with ice and an open bottle of wine that he set on the table down before he walked to his right and pulled his own chair out. With a handsome smile, Sephiroth gestured out to the meal.

“Dinner is served, please, you don’t need to worry about appearances. I just ask that you observe care to not spill,” the silverette said as he leaned forward and grabbed the bottle of wine. “You can pour the water. I’ll pour the wine, how’s that?” Cloud nodded immediately and nervously grabbed the pitcher, the ice clicking loud from his over eager jerk and the blonde winced slightly before he took a breath and gently tipped the spout to pour water into his glass while Sephiroth filled his own wine glass. After that Cloud, wanting to make sure he didn’t spill, left his spot and walked around the silverette to pour water into his glass while Sephiroth leaned forward and poured wine into Cloud’s. Once glasses were filled, Sephiroth dished out the chicken while Cloud spread mashed potatoes onto their plates, leaving Sephiroth to dish out the broccoli. The two took their seats finally and the blonde sat still, waiting to see what his boss thought of his table setting before that handsome smile pointed at him.

“You did remarkably well actually. But, you did misplace the silverware,” Sephiroth informed and Cloud’s face pinched a little, drawing a soft chuckle from the man as he ran his fingers gently down and grabbed up his silverware and lifted up the two forks. “While under normal circumstances I would say it really isn’t a big deal in this day and age; but for my troubled sight, it’s helpful for my plate to be set in a way that allows me to not have to grope around for silverware.”

“I’m sorry,” Cloud blurted and Sephiroth shook his head softly.

“I was expecting that things might be off tonight, so I was prepared to pay attention to it. But for future reference,” his boss informed as he shook the forks, “the forks go over here. The smaller one is the salad fork, which goes on the left, the dinner fork on the right. Then you get the meat knife on the left, the dinner knife in the middle, and then our soup soon on the right. Above my plate is where the small desert spoon and fork should be set should we have desert, which I unfortunately do not have tonight. You got everything else right, but even if you hadn’t, I can spot those easily enough I wouldn’t worry about it,” Sephiroth explained as Cloud sat leaned forward, trying to memorize everything he was being told. “Unfortunately silverware can easily be mistaken in the dark, so it’s the only thing I will ask that you remember when it comes to setting up the table, and only for my place.” The blonde gave a slow nod before leaning back in his chair and the silverette spared him any more pressure by directing his attention to the food in front of him. “Let’s dig in, I’m quite hungry and I’m sure you are too.”

Cloud looked at his arrangement of silverware, under the pressure to pick the right one to eat with. Even though he’d literally just been told not to worry about it on his own account, he didn’t exactly want to be the odd one out. Grabbing the meat knife and the larger dinner fork, he stabbed into the meat and paused, remembering that if he pushed too hard he’d make a terrible squeak against the plate and gently sawed his meat. Cloud looked out the corner of his eyes at his boss who had silently sliced through his meat and elegantly placed his piece into his mouth before chewing. It was awkward, it was tense, though the blonde was well aware that he was the only one feeling that way. Finished sawing off a piece, the blonde pressed the meat into his mouth, and the moment the chicken touched his tongue a splash of simple but vibrant flavor saturated his sense of taste and he froze, withholding a groan before pulling his fork free and chewing. Okay, Sephiroth knew how to cook all right. After finishing his chicken Cloud dug into the creamy, buttery mashed potatoes and decided right then that if he got to eat such good food he didn’t mind at all living in a creepy old house that kept jump scaring him. He’d get used to it anyway and probably stop getting freaked out over stupid things. Testing out his hot, crunchy broccoli Cloud relished in the steamed vegetable as he chanced another glance at Sephiroth who he noticed lifted his spread napkin from his lap and looked over at his napkin still folded to his left and sheepishly unfolded it before draping it over his thighs. Well, at least he wasn’t being given the example to stuff it into his shirt collar.

“How do you like your room?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde paused a moment before he swallowed.

“Cool. Didn’t expect such a fancy bed. But then again, everything in your house is pretty fancy,” Cloud answered, feeling stupider with every word he spoke. A chuckle was his reward and the blonde felt his cheeks warm as his heart fluttered. Sephiroth had one of those musical laughs, really low and undulating like a song; stupidly attractive.

“I’m glad. I hope you find yourself a good night’s rest. I know new places can be difficult to sleep in. If there’s anything I can do to make it more comfortable, do let me know,” Sephiroth offered and Cloud’s lips quirked up into an awkward smile.

“I think I’ll be good. You noticed I didn’t play football my final year, right?” Cloud asked and the silverette put his silverware down after wiping them clean and setting them in their proper places at his plate.

“I did, I didn’t want to ask because I figured there was something personal behind it,” the silverette said softly.

“It’s not a huge deal or anything. I hurt my leg during the final game of the season and started having constant pain and numbness. Found out from a doctor that I developed Compartment Syndrome, I guess from working myself too hard, and well, I did. I was the smallest guy on the team and really didn’t want to let anyone down after I was lucky enough to make the cut,” Cloud paused, realization hitting him and he tensed.

“I can work hard though, it’s not a problem for me. Just sometimes when I go to sleep, I guess the position causes pressure to build up behind my kneecap area and so my leg starts to hurt and go numb. So, I take a painkiller before bed. For days I have trouble sleeping, I take a PM version,” Cloud blurted, anxiety gripping his heart.

“You can relax, Cloud. While I never suffered a severe injury, I am not unfamiliar to teammates who suffered them. As long as you assure me you can keep up the work I ask, I have no problems with any injuries you have,” Sephiroth assured. “And I can be flexible when it comes to pain since I do empathize. Just so long as your work doesn’t go neglected, if I suspect as much, we will have a discussion.”

“It won’t. I’ve been managing it for a year now. And after all the physical therapy I’ve had, it really is barely a problem. Sometimes it hurts, and one Aleve solves the problems in like fifteen minutes. So I’m barely down at all,” Cloud informed, eager to impress how able he was. The silverette’s smile was incredibly charming when he reached across the corner of the table and grabbed the blonde’s shoulder with an encouraging squeeze before releasing his hold and brushing his fingers down Cloud's arm as he pulled his hand back with a smile still on his lips.

“I believe you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Warning(s):** Uh, creepy moments, nothing significant yet. Maybe inappropriate touching by Sephiroth at the end of chapter? Medical Condition (I based Cloud's on my own)
> 
> Things pick up next chapter!


	3. Encounter 3: The Doll Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud's first night is a bit bumpy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I'm so glad that this story is being so well received so far! ^_^ I hope I can keep it up!
> 
> I do have a playlist I've made for this fic that has a lot of ambient music that I've been listening to when I write, and I thought I'd share for anyone curious to check it out. 
> 
> Playlist/soundtrack
> 
> In This Moment: [In The Air Tonight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZS2O4dXFXE)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Blood Pulse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onHdoaxTdPw)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Warped Mind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkurXmkUFTg)  
> Ayako Toyoda: [ Another Hallway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trkYXmTvlro&list=PLD0B2C600CB0FEF64&index=4)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Only a Nightmare ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEWLDJc2YDE)  
> Mikko Tarmia: [ Darkness](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8jFc2Wmfcs)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Prisonic Fairytale ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk-3uAkcPXQ)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Wail of Warning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrWsWNOOfuQ)  
> Marilyn Manson: [ Born Villain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06LXBa-MbH0)  
> The Birthday Massacre: [ Surrender](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB0UzaGbUUY)
> 
> I listened to Warped Mind, Another Hallway, and then Only a Nightmare while writing this chapter if anyone wanted to listening to anything while reading themselves.
> 
> **Warning(s) at the end of chapter notes! Be sure to check'em out if you are concerned about the content you might run into. And I suggest you do if you are someone who gets nervous and wants warnings. If you don't want to be spoiled, then feel free to read on.**

With dinner finished Cloud made his way up the staircase to the gallery, and though the idea of pausing at Scarlet’s door came to mind, he shook the thought away and continued forward until he was in his own room. With a sigh the blonde closed his door behind him and gazed at his room, the word cozy coming to mind, but also stuffy as he gazed at the chest of drawers shoved against the wall and the fireplace in front of the bed, creating a narrow pathway between. As his eyes drifted over the fireplace, begging for an itch to light it be scratched which he ignored, he allowed his gaze to glide along the surface of the chest of drawers until he froze and stared curiously at the doll he had found. He had completely forgotten to ask Sephiroth about it, and about the one in Scarlet’s room since he was starting to wonder if they were gifts from their employer. Cloud stared at the doll, into the painted blue eyes of its turned head, and only after a brief moment did the blonde’s brows furrow before he glanced at his bedroom door and then slightly cocked his head to the side curiously.

Did he leave the doll’s head turned? Thinking back on it he thought he’d left it forward when he’d played with it, and then gave a snort of laughter. Well, it looked like his doll was haunted if that were the case. With a shrug Cloud went to one of the dressers and pulled out a white tank top and a pair of shorts to wear for bed, though as he did so he glanced at the doll and perhaps superstitiously scooted over slightly. Done with that the blonde bent down and grabbed a small plastic tub he had put into one of the bottom drawers that housed a collection of bathroom items and turned toward the door. A shower would be a great way to relax and get intimate with his new home, hopefully nothing would bite him in the shower. Without sparing the creepy look-alike doll another glance, the blonde walked out of his room and hung a right to go to the bathroom he was told he could shower in.

Cloud ignored the prickling feeling he felt at the base of his spine as he hurried his steps through the still air and to the bathroom in the loft where he pulled the door open to a pitch black room. His heart pulsed awkwardly in his chest for a moment in memory of his experience in the servant’s stairwell and grabbed his phone. Turning the flashlight on he bounced its light off the innocent surfaces of the bathroom before he turned it to the right side of the door and found the light switch. Flipping it, a surprisingly bright light flickered on and the blonde recoiled for a moment, straining against the pain as he stepped inside with a hiss and quickly closed the door, just in case Sephiroth was around. Once Cloud’s eyes adjusted he realized the light wasn’t that particularly bright, not really, but brighter than most of the lights in the house, probably because Sephiroth didn’t use it as the blonde was pretty sure he had his own private bathroom attached to his master bedroom.

The bathroom floor surprisingly was wood, though he supposed in an old house it wasn’t so strange that it would be. A large world rug with its ornate design spread across the open square of space between the sink with a granite looking surface that was covered in some sort of polish, and a toilet past that. Cloud turned to the mirror over the sink and frowned at his reflection, the mirror was an antique and ornate in its oval shape and floral etched, burnished wood frame, and the glass showed some chipping, but otherwise it was pristine and clear, which meant it revealed far too much for his liking. Cloud had never escaped the girly look of his features, especially his lips which had gotten him teased quite a bit growing up, and somehow in the dark woods of the bathroom he looked even smaller than normal, almost dainty. _Like a doll._ Deciding to ignore his reflection the blonde put his stuff down on the polished surface of the counter and turned to the claw footed tub with its entirely oval curtain ring. Now that looked sixties old fashioned.

Curious, he walked over to the tub and examined the brass twist knobs and the spout upon which a thin pipe sprouted up and curved down overhead for the shower. Leaning on the rounded side of the tub, Cloud twisted the left knob and listened to the loud bubbling and banging that rattled up the pipes of the old house until water spit out of the shivering spout. After a minute he put his fingertips under the water before jerking them back, having found the water hot. Twisting it backward a rotation and then twisting the right he turned away while he waited to see what the temperature would settle at. As his t-shirt came up over his head, revealing an impressively tight build of muscles on his slender frame, Cloud kicked his running shoes off as he dropped his shirt onto the counter by his shower supplies.

Sitting down on the toilet lid the blonde yanked his socks off and tossed them onto his shoes and went to work on his pants button and zipper. Once he’d shimmied his jeans down his strong, lean legs he kicked them off and walked over to the tub before checking the water temp, which was suitably warm. A drain plug hung from a long chain wrapped around the neck of the spout and Cloud unwrapped it before he pushed it snug into the drain, allowing water to fill the base of the tub. Cleaning was going to be tough with so much to cover, and while the blonde knew it was primarily what his job was, it was still daunting when added to the fact that he also acted as a security guard. Dropping his boxers at his feet and kicking them away, Cloud twisted walked over and grabbed his supply tote and set it on the floor beside the tub before climbing in.

At rest he looked at the head of the tub, watching the water pour down between his stretched out feet and heaved a sigh as he allowed his head to dip back against the rim of the tub before he sank down until his head rest against the rim. In the new position his knees were a bit bent, and even though he was short for a guy, the tub was actually pretty luxurious in its size, which was nice. The only sound in the room was that of the water spilling out of the spout plunging into deeper and deeper water and Cloud allowed his eyes to close. Lifting a wet hand to his face the blonde scratched at his jawline, frowning at the spiny hairs he felt brush his fingers and sighed, he’d shave in the morning. He didn’t even know if he’d actually wash himself tonight, he was worn out from the long drive, the move, and the constant creepy experiences he kept having. He couldn’t believe how often he was jump scaring himself. If he didn’t relax soon he was going to develop anxiety or something, though his teammates had often liked to tell him he was already an anxious guy. When he felt the water reach the middle of his upper arms Cloud opened his eyes, leaned forward, stretched his hand out and turned the water off before sinking back down, ready to simply not move and let his mind drift.

His old apartment that was too small and too expensive in the big city. Always smelled bad too, like sour milk or stale beer. The house smelled a lot better, even if everything about it smelled old, but a classy old like a visit to a mansion that had been converted into a museum. Sephiroth didn’t smell like the house though. There was something very attractive about the clean musk Cloud got to smell when he was near enough, and perhaps it was the man’s hair, but it's subtle fragrance was drawing. Even though he was rather off putting at first, when the man spoke there was a charismatic warmth to his voice, an allure as it rumbled low through the air. He had a nice body, it wasn’t a surprise that he had played sports, though the blonde couldn’t imagine him playing with long hair, and the image of his boss with short hair was almost wrong. Cloud’s left hand drifted to his right arm where the silverette had touched him and felt a prickle at the base of his spine and up his thighs, gathering in his lower belly. That touch had been so surprising. It had felt wonderful though. If he didn’t know better he would have thought it sexual, but he doubted it; his boss had vision troubles and probably had touched him like that accidentally. It didn’t help how sexually charged everything about the man felt though.

Sephiroth even had a very sensual gait somehow, even with the way he used that cane to half-haphazardly feel around the halls. The way he walked to, the way he almost seemed to elegantly glide through the halls, footsteps so much quieter than Cloud’s own. His hips swayed as did his shoulders, not overly so, but enough to draw attention to his strong frame and its scelte shape, and though he had tried not to, the blonde couldn’t help wondering just how the man looked beneath his fanciful clothes. Everything about the man was aristocratic, from his clothes even to his smile, and yet, there was this undeniable sensual pull to his presence. Was it his charisma that made Cloud feel that way? The blonde felt a twitch in his cock and his brows jumped slightly when he realized his hands had drifted down toward his pelvis where the prickle had intensified into a warming sensation.

Perhaps he shouldn’t keep thinking about Sephiroth’s hotness, while very hot, it would be stupid to get all hot and bothered over his boss, whom he surely could never have a relationship with for various reasons. He didn’t even know if the man swung that way. Cloud sighed and tried to change the direction of his quickly depressing thoughts, but at least they were sobering him up and quelling the inappropriate swelling in his dick. So instead he focused on the dinner, he’d made such a fool of himself far too many times. While admittedly it seemed like the blonde was the only one actually bothered by them due to how good-natured his boss was about it all, he still couldn’t stop the feeling of embarrassment from erupting in him whenever he remembered. Perhaps he really should just try to relax, everyone was always telling him to, after all, Sephiroth had not once sounded upset.

_Cloud_

The way his name rumbled from off that tongue made the blonde’s heart flutter a little every time he heard it, it tickled even his ears. Never would he have thought he’d experience that weird sensation. Sephiroth certainly had a voice that would win over many fans if he ever did any sort of vocal entertainment, people would love him as a talk show host. Remembering the low rumble of the silverette’s voice induced a stronger pulse from his balls to his swelling cock and Cloud heaved a sigh as his eyes slid open to stare at the dimly lit ceiling. Well, it certainly seemed like he couldn’t even think of his employer without being a perv. He really shouldn’t, it would only encourage him to develop feelings he shouldn’t, and he’d done it before with too many crushes in his past that never came to fruition. Cloud had a bad habit of crushing on all the guys that were either unavailable or not applicable in lieu of the fact that he did not have a vagina. Knowing his luck, on top of their professional relationship making it taboo, Sephiroth was probably straight too. But, he supposed what his boss didn’t know couldn’t hurt, right? He knew better, though admittedly he always did, but he was more mature now, right? He’d handle it better this time. No melodramatic heartbreaks.

Embarrassment washed over Cloud, he was in someone else’s house and somehow masturbating in it was awkward to the extreme. Almost like the walls of the house had eyes to see him doing something so inappropriate. But they were just walls, he wasn’t in some horror movie where a serial killer watched through peepholes or cameras. And he rationalized that he was going to be living in it too, potentially for years if he was allowed to work for Sephiroth that long. So it was natural that it would happen eventually. He was a dirty human after all. Cloud closed his eyes again and let his hand drift over to his cock, fingers brushing over the vibrantly flushed sensitive flesh and inducing a spidering tingle down his cock to his balls and the backs of his thighs as the heat intensified. Sephiroth had a really attractive smile, and imagining those lips wrapped around his cock made it pulse hotter as he wrapped his fingers around himself and gave a much needed squeeze, a breath of pleasure passing his full, pink lips.

Cloud’s other hand drifted over and teased the sensitive head of his dick and a soft groan of pleasure flitted from his lips. Rubbing the thumb of his left hand over the leaking slit beneath the water he set his right wrist into motion, working his fist up and down the length of his flushed cock as heat warmed his body, the pleasurable sparks and throbs on each tight slide encouraging him to pump faster. Each time his thumb pressed over the head of his cock the image of his boss’s tongue stroking over it made him swell hotter in his grip as he stroked faster, more urgent while enjoying his fist as the tight suck of lips bobbing up and down.

Orgasm rapidly built, boiling and pulsing faster, harder through the blonde as his left hand planted itself to the bottom of the tub while his right fist pumped faster, harder while his hips thrust up in jerking movements and toes curled beneath the water. His breath puffed harder through his nose as sweat misted his face and neck from both the rush of pleasure and the heat of the water, boiling, twisting, squirming inside him until the intense hot swell of pleasure exploded and Cloud gasped, back stiffening as his toes pressed hard against the side of the tub while his head jerked back. After a second he took in a slow, unsteady breath and relaxed, allowing his body to settle to the bottom of the tub while he freed his soft cock from his hand. Long lashed eyelids fluttered open and Cloud pulled his head forward, staring at the facet between his feet. He sat up and scrubbed his hands together in the water with a sigh before he leaned forward, pulled the plug free, and immediately the tub belched as water began to pour down the drain. With a sigh, Cloud stood up, grabbed a towel folded on a wall mounted shelf by the tub and wrapped it around his waist while he walked over to the sink and rinsed his face.

Well, so much for actually cleaning himself, but he felt far more relaxed now. But after a moment of debate and deciding to not be a total pig Cloud grabbed a bar of soap from his bath supplies and actually washed his face and armpits before he dried off, pulled his chosen bedtime clothes on, and stuffed his sockless feet into his shoes. Satisfied and seeing the tub fully drained, he opened the door into the almost dark manor and flipped the light off. Since he hadn’t seen any vent, the blonde left the door open for the room to dry out and walked back to his room without event and after putting his shower supplies away and dropping his clothes on the floor by the bed, let himself flop onto his back on his bed.

Grabbing his phone from the bedside table the blonde turned the screen on and frowned, service wasn’t really any better, but it was enough to at least get a text, but still nothing. Zack usually pestered him constantly with texts about the most random of things. But, he needed to sleep, he would be learning how to actually do everything, and get his pamphlet for the keys in the morning. He had a lot to do to get familiar with his new home. With that decision Cloud sent out a quick good night text and got up, pulled the covers back, remembering the doll enough to check and see if there was anything else hiding from him in bed, and when he found nothing, crawled inside and turned the antique lamp that produced way too much heat, off.

It took a few minutes, but his mind eventually began to drift on thoughts of the foyer of all things and the view he had when he looked from over the gallery banister, and then down below was the smiling face of Sephiroth who stared up at him before lifting a hand, beckoning him down. Cloud smiled, eager as he lifted one foot to the banister and crawled over the railing, sharing in the silverette’s smile. It was a weird direction for his thoughts to go in, but as he slipped deeper and deeper into sleep, he really lost control of what his brain decided to think about, which became inexplicably sexual as fingers danced across his skin beneath his clothes while everything spun faster and faster until he couldn’t think anymore.

Shadows moved through the house, thick and swirling, arching and reaching. The stillness of the air grew thicker with the ticking of the grandfather clock in the study below, while the toll of the wall clock in Cloud’s bedroom timidly ticked in warning the lapse of time passing him by while unaware. The sounds the house produced, low and soft, groaned and whispered in ghastly breaths, imploring for deaf ears to listen.

Until a loud shattering of glass jerked Cloud awake and his eyes snapped open to pitch black darkness. He froze in bed, eyes wide as he stared, mind trying to rapidly collect him into the present. Blinking finally, he sat up in bed and gazed around the bedroom, but he could see nothing. He stilled, listening to hear anything else, though in reality, it was his job to check out any bizarre noises. Cloud pulled the thick bedspread off of himself and froze when he found himself shrouded in icy air and shivered when he heard the low thump of footsteps outside his bedroom.

Unnerved, the blonde wrapped his arms around himself and put his feet to the floor before realizing he could check the time on his phone, and grabbed it up to view its screen which glared back at him with the obnoxious time of 12:12 in the morning. With a sigh, Cloud put his phone down and listened to the footsteps, muffled... from his back wall? He turned his eyes to the wall behind him where his writing desk sat as he turned and switched his light on, bathing the bedroom in the low, yellow glow of its light. Walking his way over while fighting off the shudders as the cold air licked at his body, the blonde put his left hand to the wall and then pressed his right ear to its surface. He listened for a moment. And he gasped when he heard a floorboard creak on the other side of the wall, and then the slow step of feet changing directions to walk to the right. He stepped back, eyes wide and heart thumping hard against his chest. That was Scarlet’s room behind his, right? Taking a breath when he realized it, the blonde forced himself to relax. Though they sounded awful heavy to be Scarlet, it could only be her, or perhaps Sephiroth was awake and checking in on her. Okay, nothing weird then. But what had that loud sound been? It had sounded like glass. Was a window broken? Or, as he thought, one of his boss’ antiques?

A sudden rush of footsteps behind him drew a loud, audible gasp from Cloud’s lips and he spun around, staring at his bedroom door as rapid footsteps rushed by again going down the hall toward the servants’ stairway. Judging from their distance and slight muffle they were definitely outside his door and not some radio or something. Throat tight and dry, Cloud took in a shaky breath and shuddered before taking in a shrill gasp when a puff of icy air hit the back of his neck and he almost stumbled forward a handful of steps to his bed before looking around the room, but it was nothing, just frigid air that colored his breath white. Turning back to his bedroom door the blonde walked up to it with determination and grabbed the handle as he listened while he opened it, and stared down out the crack, it was dark in the hallway though, too dark to see anything. Yet, he stared longer and jumped, muscles winding tight when he heard the fast pitter patter of feet return and closed the door quickly. Only then did he realize with surprise that it may have been children’s feet.

Immediately he remembered the story he’d been told a week prior about the children and felt his heart kick into a sprint in his chest while he backed away from the door, dizzy as he reached his bed and sat on the edge, staring at the door with wide, alert eyes. He couldn’t hear the footsteps behind him anymore, and the chill in the room was gone, leaving him hot and rapidly growing sweaty as his heart pumped hard in his ears. Cloud sat and listened, and after a few long moments he felt like everything had gone terribly quiet and… normal. Standing up he walked over to the bedroom door, grabbed the long handle and pulled the door until it popped open and peered through the crack he made. Pitch darkness, go figure. Well, he’d seen enough horror movies to give him the heeby jeebies, and so closed his door and sat down. He stared at the door for a long, painful moment. He had to go check. It was his fucking job, and he was being chicken shit. He may be small, and though he’d hardly played as much as he’d have liked, he was a former football player. There was no way this was actually happening, maybe it was something else he was hearing, like an old rattling pipe? Unplugging his phone from its charging cable Cloud turned the flashlight app on, opened his door, and stepped into the hallway.

Steeling his spine, Cloud walked slowly down the hall, his bare feet feeling each floorboard he walked across or the thick fabrics of the rugs he walked over. The darkness almost seemed unnatural the way it didn’t seem to like to break away from his light, making it hard to see even as he bounced the round circle of white light down the hall on the floor and swept it across the walls. He checked the windows, making sure nothing looked broken, and started peeking into rooms. He ended up taking the sitting room first to his left down the hall, which looked more like a morgue waiting room in the dark as his light glanced off of the backs of couches and chairs. For a moment he thought the drapes moved, but as he held his breath and pulled them around to check behind them, he found nothing except a view of an almost black landscape. Looking up revealed an overcast sky blocking the moon, of course. 

Turning to the right Cloud walked through the music room which housed a luxurious grand piano and some other large instruments, even a harp, which he had never actually seen in person. Deciding it would be better to explore for fun later, the blonde exited and stepped into the utilities room where various panels greeted him, and a lot of wall built cupboards for probably supplies. Seeing nothing Cloud continued to the loft where he noticed the bathroom door was closed. Peeking inside however, rewarded him with nothing. It was only as he was about to go down the gallery toward the staircase that he noticed the loft had a small gallery to his left that wrapped around the back of the bathroom toward the large draped windows of the second floor. Walking down the pathway and turning to the left again revealed a hallway parallel to the windows that ended in a curious dead end. Not seeing anything, the blonde turned around with a furrow of his brows and stopped at Scarlet’s room. He had heard footsteps, should he knock? A breath of cold air brushed his feet from under the door and a creeping shudder spread up the base of his spine as the chill crawled up his legs, prompting another tight race in his heart as Cloud backed away. He stopped himself. No, he had to.

Lifting his fist, the blonde knocked on the door and waited. No answer came. He stepped closer, braving the icy grasp on his feet and pressed his right ear to the door. And heard, nothing. With a frown, Cloud turned away and began examining the rest of the gallery, though remembering the locked nature of the other doors and Sephiroth’s insistence that he leave them be, he ignored those. When he reached the large hallway that he knew led to his boss’ bedroom he paused and glanced back into the inky blackness behind him toward the other wing where he could see literally nothing. What triggered this whole investigation was a very loud crash, like glass. Would he have heard it this far out? But then again, he wasn’t used to the dead silence of the countryside. He glanced down the grand staircase he stood in front of, debating if he should further examine the house. It felt like the darkness was starting to press in on him, irritated or something, and it made him sweat. It really felt like the shadows in the manor were alive. 

“Cloud?” the sound of a low, rumbling voice shot a wave of panic through Cloud and he gasped, spinning on his heel, phone held up in front of him and a loud shout split the air. His phone dropped to the floor, light smothered by the floorboards as the blonde bolted forward after his split second glimpse of Sephiroth’s face in the hallway coming from his room. Cloud could see nothing as he dropped to his knees, hands groping until he found his boss’ shoulders as pained hisses and grunts filled the air. When Cloud grabbed them he realized the man was shaking.

“I-I’m so sorry!” he gasped breathlessly, his heart slamming so fast he was almost dizzy with panic. Sephiroth sunk into Cloud then, and the blonde almost fell over from the unexpected weight. It was silent and tense for a moment as the two remained on the floor, but after a few minutes, the silverette quieted and started moving around on the floor judging from what he felt in the man’s strong shoulders.

“You need to be more careful!” his boss hissed loudly and Cloud grimaced, guilt filling his chest as he hung his head.

“I know, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” the blonde whispered softly. After a moment, the shaking suddenly stopped and his boss released a sharp sigh.

“No, I’m sorry for yelling,” Sephiroth said as he pulled away from Cloud. “You would not have done that if you had known, though I suggest in the future you keep the light pointed down,” the man said, groaning as he did so. A loud drag of something filled the air and the blonde realized that his boss had probably dropped his cane and just found it again.

“I’m so, so sorry. I swear this will not happen again,” Cloud promised and the silverette sighed.

“I told you, it’s fine. I’ll take my medication and go back to bed,” Sephiroth assuage as he stood up and the blonde turned to his phone, the case illuminated by the bright light it was producing. Shuffling on his knees toward it, the blonde looked back at his boss.

“Could you close your eyes so that I can turn it off?” he asked. 

“No, you can leave it on, just keep it there until I’m gone,” the silverette said, clearly in a fouled mood. Cloud said nothing, guilt twisting around in his heart as he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and chewed.

“Why are you walking around in the middle of the night? Is something wrong?” Sephiroth asked, his softer, more musical tone returning, though it was decidedly less pleasant to the ears.

“I heard something break, so I was coming to check things out,” Cloud answered, his voice a little strained while under the heat of what he’d just done.

“I heard nothing. Perhaps you dreamed it?” Sephiroth suggested and the blonde frowned, brows furrowing a little as he thought about the suggestion.

“I guess, I heard weird noises too, like footsteps,” the blonde supplied.

“It’s an old house, it makes a lot of strange noises. You probably heard something very normal that you mistook for footsteps,” Sephiroth reasoned. “While I hired you for protection, I highly doubt I will have security troubles the very night you arrive when so isolated. I think everything is fine,” the silverette said and Cloud frowned, but nodded at the loose logic. While very unlikely, it still could happen. But, really, it was probably a one in a million chance. It was that one that made him want to look, but if Sephiroth was going to be so adamant, and after just blinding a guy who absolutely under no circumstances should be blinded, maybe he should go back to bed with his tail tucked between his legs.

“Okay,” Cloud muttered.

“Alright then, I will see you in the morning for breakfast,” Sephiroth said, the full charming lilt to his voice returned, as if happy to have his way, or happy to go back to his bedroom and take pain pills. The blonde heard the footfalls of Sephiroth and the occasional slide of his cane on the floor and stood up with his phone pressed to his stomach. His lips parted, thinking to apologize again, but it sounded like his apologizing was starting to piss the silverette off too. With reluctance, he pointed his phone back down the gallery he’d come and walked back to his room.

Cloud sat on the edge of his bed, grateful for the low light that filled his room and made him feel more comfortable, debating on whether he even wanted to try and sleep. He really had one hell of a scare, again. On top of that, he really screwed up with Sephiroth. And what was with the random bouts of cold? With a sigh he glanced to the side and his heart stopped dead in his chest. He stared at the top of his chest of drawers, ignoring the small pile of books he’d placed on top and the tablet he’d left there, and instead focused on the replica doll of himself with its head facing the back wall. He suddenly couldn’t quite take a breath as he stared at it, remembering with absolute clarity that it had been pointed at his bedroom door, but instead it was turned in the other direction entirely, pointing at the wall on the other side of the room.

“Okay, this is one hell of a house warming,” Cloud muttered to himself when he could finally take in a shuddering breath. Shit. Was he dreaming? Having some screwed up nightmare? Or was he caught in a horrible movie cliché? He laughed a little to himself and pulled his eyes from the uncomfortable sight of the doll. No, it wasn’t real, couldn’t possibly be. It had better fucking not be. He just needed to relax, maybe he really did dream everything before he’d wandered around the house like an idiot; he honestly didn’t feel quite awake anymore. He had dreamed very vividly in the past and jumped up with such speed he hadn’t quite recalled getting up from the fright and had thus been momentarily convinced that what he’d seen in his dream had actually happened. More than likely, he’d just had a pretty scary nightmare, and now he was awake and freaking himself out over nothing. Taking in a deep breath that actually felt good and refreshing, Cloud crawled back into his bedding. Keeping the light on to ease his nerves, he stared at his door for a long while, focusing on the most unnatural, inexplicable location for the events he’d experienced, creeped out even though it must have been a nightmare. Eventually, perhaps due to the adrenaline rush he’d experienced and his idiocy in the halls, the blonde conked out without even realizing it.

The sound of an eerie, low hum filled his ears as the sensation of bouncing disturbed his sleep. His neck felt heavy and his eyelids resisted opening. A glance of a doll, his doll staring at his bed disturbed Cloud as he levitated. He was floating. Up into the air and through his room he floated with a soft swaying bounce, his limbs heavy as they hung from his body. Through a wall into pure darkness he levitated, smothering his senses with the strong smell of wood, dust, and wax. The thump of the feet returned, following him as he descended through the darkness and into the bowels of some inter-dimensional space. He could hear the echoes of foot falls chasing him, of a loud trickle of water in his ears. It was easier to see in the dim light, but all there was, was stone as he finally stopped levitating and settled onto something hard. He felt so heavy, so groggy it was hard to keep his eyes open.

Hands were touching him, caressing his face, over his forehead, and over his lips before sliding over his clothes and then under. It felt so good, and he felt himself warm in appreciation of the devious hands as his skin became goose flesh under the soft caress of fingers and palms, sometimes one, two, maybe more. His clothes seemed to melt off his body and he remained still too heavy, unable to really look, but stare. His heart rushed with excitement, recognizing an exciting moment in a mysterious dream and he lay still, unabashed by his exposed, swollen dick. Finally, he moved his head with great effort and he gasped when larger than life eyes stared down at him, the sharp slit of the pupils encircled by an ominous glowing ring of color. He shrank beneath the gaze in fear, suddenly less excited, as the hands caressed down his body again, feeling him up as his legs levitated off the surface. Something pressed inside of him, small and wriggling and Cloud’s chest swelled with air as his cock stirred against his thigh before something larger pushed inside him. Those eyes stared down at him, wide and unblinking as his insides stretched wide. Heat flushed through his body and though he wished to hide from the eyes he couldn’t move his still heavy limbs. Those eyes, the only thing he could see rocked forward and back as something pressed inside him again and again, slow and measured. _Pumping._

Cloud stared, mouth fallen open as whispering breaths passed his parted lips while drool slid from the corners of his mouth. The rocking grew faster as the pressure in his testicles increased, pulsing hot through his cock as his legs bent in the air and his ass began to levitate too. Faster his breath broke from his lungs as he was rocked on the cold surface, limp and unable to speak but making lascivious sounds upon sounds until suddenly, to his surprise, the tingling, sensitive heat in his balls surged through his cock and snapped free in a burst of cum on his belly as the eyes which stared down him, unblinking, stilled. They stared, he stared, and neither moved, neither blinked. Something blocked his sight and Cloud felt pressure on his eyelids, sliding them over his eyeballs and he was left in darkness, the low sound of the eerie hum filling his ears.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): Masturbation, some serious bumps in the night, accidents, and some uh... creepy sex dreams, and for added measure, dream paralysis, and some pretty heavy denial on Cloud's part.


	4. Encounter 4: The Doll Is Blind

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud explores most of the mansion and has a few self-induced scares. Despite all that, he's feeling closer to Sephiroth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I wanted this chapter finished and out like three days ago. DX But, it's here! It's decently long too, which I is enjoyed. 
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys the creepy crawlies I tried to incorporate into it!
> 
> And thank you so much to everyone whose come by and checked this fic out! I really appreciate the kudos and comments I've gotten! ^_^ I hope that I can continue to deliver on the atmosphere in the house! (⇀_⇀) 
> 
> And thank you to [PhoenixHideki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixHideki/pseuds/PhoenixHideki) for giving this a look over. lol 
> 
> Playlist/soundtrack
> 
> In This Moment: [In The Air Tonight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZS2O4dXFXE)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Blood Pulse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onHdoaxTdPw)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Warped Mind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkurXmkUFTg)  
> Ayako Toyoda: [ Another Hallway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trkYXmTvlro&list=PLD0B2C600CB0FEF64&index=4)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Only a Nightmare ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEWLDJc2YDE)  
> Mikko Tarmia: [ Darkness](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8jFc2Wmfcs)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Prisonic Fairytale ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk-3uAkcPXQ)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Wail of Warning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrWsWNOOfuQ)  
> Marilyn Manson: [ Born Villain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06LXBa-MbH0)  
> The Birthday Massacre: [ Surrender](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB0UzaGbUUY)  
>  **There are no warnings for this chapter, so no need to worry about scrolling/clicking to the bottom of the page.**

Cloud woke up on his back, arms thrown out and legs haphazardly spread beneath his comforter with his cheek turned into his pillow. With a soft moan he opened his eyes and lifted his upper arms, finding the effort bringing forth a hard shake as sleep refused to quite leave his limbs. With a groan, he rolled over onto his side, his left arm sliding beneath his pillow as he stared across his room through the dim light of his lamp. Confused, he lifted his head up and looked to see that indeed his lamp was on, and after a brief second the memory of leaving it on slid into place and he dropped his face into his pillow with a grunt. Right, he’d had a nightmare, didn’t realize it and had wandered the halls last night. Worse, he’d light attacked his boss with photophobia, fan-fucking-tastic.

A grimace hit the blonde’s features as he forced himself to sit up in his blankets, freezing when he realized his boxers were sticking to him. Heaving another bothered sigh Cloud pulled his blanket away and stared at his shorts. Well, it looked like he jizzed himself in his sleep, what a great start to his day. With a pout he climbed out of bed and carefully peeled his boxers himself before he reached into his drawer and grabbed a new set of clothes and his bathing supplies again. With feet stuffed into his shoes, he was down the hall, curiously looking around him now that it wasn’t pitch black. The sconces cast a low yellow light over everything as he made his way to the bathroom and flipped the light on before closing the door behind him.

After undressing Cloud made use of the shower, which honestly worried him with how hard the shaft shook as water pressure climbed up the pipe before spitting out from the shower head and into the tub. After that he scrubbed himself with soap and washed his hair before he stepped out, dried off, and wrapped a towel around his hips before he took his place at the fogged mirror. Wiping it down with his hand, the blonde grabbed his shaving gel and generously lathered it onto his cheeks, jaw, and down his neck. It didn’t grow thick or fast, but he did find himself needing a shave by the end of every day if he wanted to keep clean shaven, but he’d been too tired to bother last night. Hopefully Sephiroth hadn’t noticed during dinner, though he probably hadn’t considering how light and fine Cloud’s stubble was.

The razor ran across his skin with ease before he tapped the shaft against the sink to rid it of excess hair before sliding it across more of his skin, under his jaw and down his neck. When he was finished with his face he added the gel to his armpits and shaved there as well. It wasn’t exactly what most men liked to do, but Cloud always preferred to look as kept as he could. After dressing himself the blonde spent a few minutes tussling his hair, not that it really ever needed anything done, but he still had a habit of fussing with stray wisps until he was satisfied. Done with that, he returned to his room, dropped his supplies off and pointedly looked at the doll on his chest of drawers. He walked over to the thing and picked it up, pursing his lips as he half-heartedly glared at it.

“Why are you so creepy? If there is anything haunted in this house it’s going to be you, huh?” he asked when a knock to his door caught his attention and he put the doll down before curiously opening it to reveal none other than Sephiroth. The man smiled at him in greeting from behind his dark sunglasses and Cloud offered an awkward, guilt ridden smile.

“I heard you finally up. Are you ready for breakfast?” the silverette asked and Cloud nodded.

“Sure,” he said as he glanced up at the wall clock above the chair by the door, reading out seven thirty in the morning. Sephiroth’s smile grew as he stepped back from the door to allow his employee to exit. The blonde cast a glance to his phone, which he realized he had forgot to plug in to charge and inwardly groaned before he fixed his boss with a smile and stepped out.

“Let us go then. I just finished cooking, so all you need to do is set the table and we’ll be able to eat,” Sephiroth informed and Cloud felt his cheeks warm as his heart pulsed faster in embarrassment.

“Did I sleep in late? I’m sorry,” the blonde said and the soft, musical chuckle from the man induced another flutter in Cloud’s heart as he followed after the man.

“It’s all right. I planned on letting you explore at your own pace today. Much longer I would have simply eaten without you. But starting tomorrow I would like you to be up at six o’clock to begin your work. When we finish eating I will have the key pamphlet and your daily chore list to give you in my study. From there, you are free to explore, just mind that if you do not have a key for a room, it is for a reason and I expect you to respect my wishes in keeping out of it,” Sephiroth informed and the blonde nodded, not wanting another repeat of his experience during his tour. Thinking about it, it felt like he kept constantly stepping on his boss’ toes, but maybe that was to be expected? He was new.

Downstairs Cloud set the dining table, doing his best to remember exactly how Sephiroth needed his place set, and when he was given a passing grade he happily enjoyed his breakfast. Just like dinner, the eggs, toast, and ham shank were delicious and the orange juice he found out was squeezed fresh from the orchards that grew on the property that Scarlet had picked before her departure.

“So, Scarlet is gone then, right?” Cloud asked and Sephiroth nodded from his place at the head of the table.

“Yes, she left very early this morning. So it’s just the two of us, now. It’s unfortunate that you didn’t get to shadow her for at least a few days, but the situation was urgent. And I did not want to do anything to further hamper her recovery,” his boss explained and the blonde nodded emphatically. She had certainly looked terrible, hopefully she’d be doing much better in the more constant care of her doctors.

“What do you plan to do when breakfast is over?” Sephiroth asked as he leaned back and relaxed in his chair, hands on the armrests.

“Well, I do wanna explore the rooms. And I want to see the guest house,” Cloud answered and the silverette nodded.

“The guest house will be to the right of the house. There is a small road you can follow from the courtyard,” Sephiroth said with a charming smile that the blonde couldn’t stop himself from returning. Well, he could be glad that it seemed like his boss had let the previous night’s accident drop; and Cloud was grateful for that. When the two finished the remnants of their food the blonde was tasked with cleaning the dishes, which he did with care before drying them with a towel and placing them in their respective cabinet. When he was finished with that he navigated his way through the sitting area to Sephiroth’s office where the man sat, reading over something with the edge of his sunglasses tipped down with a candle of all things lit up by the paper. On the other side of the large partners desk lay two things, a small stapled pamphlet, which Cloud guessed had to do with the keys, and a laminated file that housed a clear list of items, or chores for him to do.

“If you have any questions at all, feel free to ask,” his boss offered and the blonde nodded as he looked over the list, including things from mowing the lawn, which he sure hoped there was a riding lawn mower for because there was way too much property otherwise. It also included things like dusting all over the house, primarily focusing on the used parts while on a second list next to the long one were chores to do once a week, which included cleaning things like the unused bar and ballrooms. The ballrooms... Cloud turned away from the silverette.

“I will, thanks,” he said over his shoulder as he exited the study into the dimness of the foyer and looked down the hallway that led toward the dining area, the proper way to get there not through the sitting room, To the left of the hallway entrance was also to where the entrance to the first ballroom was located. Some of the floor planning was a bit odd, but it honestly made sense considering the mansion no doubt started out a lot smaller and was added onto over its lifetime. He wanted to go, but remembering his experience with the last door he opened, the blonde sighed and went up the stairs to go and check on his phone. Maybe Zack finally texted him, an idea of which helped put some energy into his steps as he climbed the stairs and walked across the gallery to reach his room. But, Cloud paused and glanced at Scarlet’s former bedroom door. She was gone; so he could look in there, right?

He stood there a moment, eyes on the door, debating before shaking his head and continuing on his way. That room was the creepiest place he’d been in, he wouldn’t be going in there until he had to. Back inside his room, the blonde examined his phone which read at sixty-three percent. Further disappointing was the lack of text messages waiting for him to see on his lock screen. He frowned. The battery was better than he expected, but it probably wouldn’t last the day. What was truly weird was the total lack of texts from Zack. That idiot had better be okay. Switching it to power saver mode and pocketing the device, Cloud headed back out of his room after switching his light off and quickly made his way down stairs, opting the long way to avoid the servant’s stairwell for a while longer.

Ignoring the thick blankness that crept around the open library entrance and walking passed the closed parlour door, Cloud made it to the dining area and looked to his left where a set of fanciful double doors etched in fruit themed depictions up the sides of the door frame and overhead stood. Pulling his phone from his back pocket, glanced around himself, and turned the flashlight app on before he grabbed one of the different styled doorknobs, which wiggled with looseness as he twisted it and pulled the left door open. Thick blackness spilled out from the open doorway as a breath chilled air once again slithered around Cloud’s body and he frowned, brows furrowing as he aimed his light inside. He was going to bring up the random cold drafts to his boss, it was getting ridiculous.

He took a step inside, finding his foot tapping lightly on what was clearly a polished floor, but no matter how he aimed his light, left, right, or high, he could see nothing. Just like the night before, the darkness of the house wasn’t afraid of the light, in fact it seemed to smother the white beam from his phone as his heart pumped harder with each second that passed. It felt like something was in there, waiting for him just on the outskirts of his vision. Taking another step into the ballroom rewarded Cloud with another cold chill that crawled up his back and slid around his neck in a disturbing embrace. Casting his light to the floor again he caught the warm color of the wood as it gleamed beneath his light. Pointing it to the left he finally caught some wall, revealing the same warm wood color painted over with lively organic flowers spilling across the wall’s canvas, and a rather fanciful sconce on the wall with a flower shaped glass head. Well, maybe the ballroom had a flower or garden theme? Cloud turned his light around him, but he just couldn’t see anything, and from the floor map he was pretty sure he wouldn’t be able to reach the other ballroom without making his way through the first one.

His chore list said he’d be dusting the ballroom, so where the hell was the light? Cloud turned back toward the open door and his breath grew shallow, feeling a prickle pinch into the base of his spine as he decided to check for a light switch by the door and stepped toward it, eyes focused on the dim light that of the hallway that didn’t really seem to be able to penetrate past the threshold into the ballroom. Reaching the door and putting his hand against the edge of the other door, he heaved a sigh of relief he hadn’t realized he’d held. With a glower, the blonde examined the walls outside the ballroom for a switch of any kind, but there wasn’t one there. Pointing his light at the walls inside the ballroom he looked along the right side of the doors and found nothing in the immediate area, and then the left, also nothing. His lips pursed, perplexed before he realized he could follow the walls to the other door. Though the brief sensation of not wanting to go bedeviled him, Cloud straightened his spine in defiance and pointed his light at the wall and pressed his right hand to it as he walked along it. He would not be scared of a house he was going to live in and take care of. He wasn’t a coward.

As he walked he couldn’t help but feel that shadows in the room felt thicker in the center. If he stared long enough it looked like they were converging, squirming and twisting, and the longer he stared, the more they seemed to grow before the blonde squeezed his eyes shut and took a breath. Of course staring was going to make him see things that weren’t there, what the fuck was he doing? It almost felt like he was trying to scare himself by this point. With a grunt, Cloud opened his eyes and continued forward, ignoring the pressure of a presence he felt growing in the middle of the room, watching him. The feeling of the room not quite being empty was the only thing to be truly afraid of, but the blonde also realized with a small aha moment, that old electrical appliances and wiring were known to give people the heebie-jeebies, to cause the sensation of being watched. An old house was primed for that sort of thing. A smile crossed his lips as he walked a little easier along the wall. He still could feel an uneasiness tugging at him to look into the middle of the ballroom, but he’d just have to deal with it.

On his way forward, eyes focused on the ground with his hand on the wall his fingers hit something small that jutted from the wall and he stopped and twisted to look at it. With a shine of his light rapturous joy filled his heart at the recognition of a switch. Eager, he flipped it on and a low, romantic light filled the room, finally chasing away the stubborn shadows and his unease. Looking finally into the heart of the room, Cloud was rewarded with absolutely nothing solid or monstrous looking at him. Of course. Instead the floor glossed with the occasional dark brown blooming rose pattern on its surface. Everything was so warm, and cast in the orange glow of the gigantic glittering crystal chandelier above, the room looked lustrous.

The large panels of the wood walls were carved to frame paintings of various gardens, mostly of flowers, while bleeding from one canvas to the next. While none were directly connected, the organic wavy, repetition of the frames bordering the depictions held it all together as Cloud walked to the center of the ballroom and followed the scenes with his eyes. After a moment he realized there was a cycle being depicted, going through various stages of the flower gardens’ lifespan through the seasons accentuated by night and day cycles. Looking up rewarded the blonde with the surprise of a view of the heavens, where the light of the chandelier cast upon the walls. Well, damn. It was incredibly beautiful and lulling as he stared out at the masterful craftsmanship around him.

Pulling his gawking gaze from the room he spotted the very obvious break in the story of the flowers where two large double doors stood with a two step stair incline before them. He walked across the ballroom, running shoes tapping on the floor with an echo as he walked.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap _taptap_ , tap, tap _taptap_

Cloud froze and looked behind him. He was alone, as expected, and looked down at his feet. His brows furrowed as he glanced back at the door into the ballroom. Sephiroth wasn’t there, or anyone else for that matter, though no one but him could be there. But, he could have sworn he heard a second set of steps shadowing his own. With a shrug and concluding it had something to do with the echo, he went on his way, hearing no more doubling of his steps as he walked up to the doors, grabbed the handle of the one on the right, and opened it to reveal another dark room. Realizing his phone light was still on, he pointed it inside and felt his heart drop when something creaked in the room. A door?

“Okay, I think I’m just having bad luck with doors. And now I’m spooking myself,” Cloud muttered as he reached his hand to the right and felt around, immediately finding a switch and flipping it. The light was still very low, casting a yellow glow over the woods of the small hallway. It wasn’t very straight and angled in off ways, clearly the result of the continuous add-ons. The floor also looked less flat, probably used to be, but now there was a slight bulge beneath the carpet that covered the no doubt warped wood. Stepping down into the space, Cloud saw a door directly in front of him and walked forward, hearing a whining creak beneath his feet as the wood depressed beneath his weight, which he carefully moved off of before he reached the simple wood door and grabbed the handle.

Opening it his phone light bounced off of a toilet and sink, immediately indicating what the room was. With a nod and not needing to turn on the light and explore, he closed the door and walked back through the oddly shaped hallway where to his right was another set of double doors. The other ballroom. Cloud grabbed one of the doors and when he twisted the knob he found the handle immediately stalled. He twisted it again, rattling it. It was locked. A smile curved his lips as he grabbed out the heavy set of keys weighing his pants pocket and pulled out his folded up pamphlet. Leaning against the wall he flipped through the pages until he realized he didn’t have a ballroom key. His brows furrowed. Why no ballroom key? Was he not allowed in the second ballroom? Remembering Sephiroth’s earlier words his frown deepened.

With a sigh Cloud pushed from the wall and glanced at the doors before giving the other handle a wiggle, it shook but did not twist. With a hum and toss back of his head for a moment, the blonde heaved another sigh and walked back to the doorway leading into the weird hall, turned the light off, and went back into the first ballroom. He didn’t waste time and went straight for the badly placed, in his opinion, light switch and doused the light in the pretty ballroom before quickly making his way to the door. Once out, he closed the door behind him and ran his right hand back through the spiked locks of his hair before remembering to turn his flashlight app off. Well, he’d now been everywhere downstairs by the guest room and the entertainment room. The idea of taking up those on his current run was a little taxing and so decided to put them off for the next day when he would be cleaning around anyway. Or maybe he’d check them out after a break later in the day. The next place he really should go to was the broom closet that would have all of his supplies, and he wanted to see the music room during the daylight hours after his previous glimpse.

Stopping by the study doorway Cloud paused and glanced inside where Sephiroth sat, still reading by candlelight over his sunglasses. Curiosity sated, the blonde climbed the stairs beneath the dim yellow light of the wall sconces and made his way to the sitting room on his wing. A couch sat facing the draped over window, an articulate flower pattern embroidered across its maroon surface in golds and soft greens. Love seats sat facing one another, also shrouded in the same thick cover, in between which a low sitting burnished dark wood coffee table sat. There were lamps placed between each end of the couch and the loveseats on top of round ornate side tables. A large world rug slept beneath the assortment of furniture, upon which the walls surrounding the room boasted flowery scenes depicting couples in gardens in almost rococo-esque gilded frames.

Passing by that to his right would be the music room he had peeked into, and stopping at the square entryway rewarded him with the sight of the grand piano sitting center of the room over another large world rug. It’s polished cherry wood glistened under the low cast light as its shadow spilled thick from beneath its body. Somehow the music room was a little stuffier and darker than the drawing room; the shadows once again collecting in its corners as if solid. Upon his scan of the room his eyes landed on the harp. It was giant, and by far the most eye catching thing in the space. Gilded in gold the thing was at least as tall as Cloud with ornate sculptures of flowers and fairies breaking free of their fanciful frame, and at the solid base it looked like there seemed to be some sort of depiction of an enchanted forest. Walking over and ignoring the prickle of discomfort at the base of his spine he squatted down to look, it looked like elves and even unicorns could be spotted sprouting out from the base in high relief from the spine and bow of the harp. Standing up and looking at the organic flow of the musical instrument the blonde was certain that it was not only meant to produce beautiful music, but also to be revered as a piece of art.

As he remained in place, he could feel the twinge in his spine grow and a pout turned his lips in frustration as he cast his eyes around the mysterious corners of the admittedly not very large room, glaring, daring for the house to give him another jump scare. Taking a deep breath and strengthening his spine, Cloud walked over the piano and let his hand gently touch its polished surface, admiring the way it felt beneath his hand. Maybe he would play it sometime. Lifting the fall board he paused and stared at the beautiful glisten of the ivory keys and gave a small smile. It was a beautiful piano. But, not wanting to play around with something so precious on his first day, he closed the fall board and walked toward the entryway when he heard the glittering hum of a single harp cord and froze. Cloud took in a deep breath and twisted around to look back into the room, somehow it looked darker, staring at the harp against the far corner from him. Squinting he could see nothing, and glared again, not willing to let himself be dared into another self induced scare. He didn’t know why the hell he heard the pluck of a harp string, maybe it hadn’t even come from that room, or maybe he’d caused it when it walked over and disturbed the floorboards, causing the instrument to shift or something, but either way, he was not staying and risking another self induced jump scare.

“Right, time for the broom closet,” he muttered before he turned and walked away, ignoring the feeling of his back feeling oddly exposed. That was most certainly in his head. All of it was. Back in the hall, Cloud walked across the gallery and to the left adjacent to the hall leading to Sephiroth’s room and down until he met a dead end where two doors sat near each other on opposite sides. Poking his head into the door on his right revealed a bathroom as he’d been told and the map had shown, and to his left was the broom closet. Grabbing the handle he was rewarded with a locked door. After pulling his pamphlet out and checking he found the ornate key to the broom and slid it into the lock, and with a twist, the door didn’t even really have to be pushed as it popped free from its frame eagerly, though it did seem loose on its hinges.

Pulling the exorbitant key collection free, the door swung open with a whiny groan. Turning his flashlight app on again he peered inside, the walls were lined with the dim silhouettes of tools that occasionally glinted at him in the light of his phone before being engulfed in darkness once again. Feeling the wall on the left side of the door rewarded him with the feel of a switch, and flipping it shuddered on a dim light overhead from an old, rustic hanging light. Turning his phone light off and stepping in the floor creaked loud beneath his feet and he could actually hear the buzz of the electricity in the bulb and wondered how close it might be to bursting, which prompted the blonde to decide to find a bulb while he was in there.

The entire room smelled overpowering of dust, funny enough, and wood due to the rough, unpolished nature of the benches, floors, and walls. The entire room had been left entirely without touch up probably from when it had originally been built, no wallpaper, no polish, no rugs, nothing. Cobwebs hung from the corners and down to the floor, and more than once did Cloud see a large spider in its web. His brows furrowed. Why was the room for the cleaning supplies for cleaning the house so unkempt?

Large tools and powered machinery such as chainsaws lined the walls from the hooks they used, tool boxes were stacked beneath one woodwork bench to the left side of the room where the wall of brick bulged forward, probably from the curved stairs coming up from the foyer. Walking over to the bench and gritting against the constant whinging of the floorboards Cloud dropped onto his haunches, grabbed a tool box, and stood, setting it on the workbench. He opened it and examined the myriad of tools, all of which he recognized as very basic but much used necessities. Where were the light bulbs? Remembering his original plan for the room he turned around, eyes scanning the other benches lining the walls and spotted some cupboards built up toward the ceiling, covered in spider webs, and felt his fingers tense.

Dammit. He really hated how thick and sticky spider webs were. They made his skin crawl. Striking his foot out he stepped forward, hearing the floor whine in protest when he heard the sound of feet thumping up behind him. Turning to look over his shoulder he followed the sound with his eyes as clearly the sound of feet climbed up behind him, Sephiroth must have been going up the stairs. Wow, sound really traveled in this house. And then he realized sheepishly, that he was right above the man’s study, no doubt he was listening to Cloud squeaking incessantly above him. No wonder he was on the stairs, he was probably going to his room to escape all the fucking noise. Shaking himself however, the blonde refocused on his task at hand and walked across the floorboards and hesitantly started to lift his hands for one of the cupboards.

A chill of air fluttered in from the doorway and Cloud sighed; another weird air draft. His fingertips neared his hated webs when the buzzing of the light grew sharper and started to blip in sound. He turned his eyes as the light in the room began to flicker. Shit, it was going to burst. It would be best to wait then and get out before he got hurt. The light flickered more violently, plunging him into thick darkness and then into the dim yellow light of the bulb. Heart racing fast in his chest and breath breaking faster from his lips Cloud hurried to the door, fearful of shattered glass and sparks when the door slammed shut in his face and he froze, eyes wide when the sound of the bulb sparking was followed by a pop of glass breaking apart. He backed himself against the door, heart thrumming in his chest, blood rushing in his ears when his entire world was swallowed by shadow.

The chill in the room grew stronger, caressing over his clothes and sneaking beneath to rub at his flesh. Cloud reached for his phone, fingers shaking as he fumbled and realized his hands were getting clammy. Relax. It was just a busted light. He shuddered, it was getting unbelievably cold, again. Finally flipping the screen to himself and turning it on he bathed his face in light in the room. Eager, he swiped his thumb up and dismayed when his touch to the sleek glass netted him nothing. Pressing his thumb down to unlock his phone he waited, and to his disbelief the screen on his phone turned off, splashing him into a chilled darkness once again, and would not turn back on no matter how many attempts he made. Taking slow, deep, stuttering breaths he stared into the room, a creeping sensation tingling up the base of his spine to the base of his skull and spreading out among his nerves. He was being stupid, but he didn’t want to turn around. Was it the chill in the air that made him so uneasy in the way it felt like it breathed on him? Almost every time he had been anxious it had been when the sudden cold draft would hit him. Reaching his left hand behind him he pushed his phone into his pocket, grasped for the door handle, grabbed it, and twisted it, but it wouldn’t budge.

His throat tightened. Was it locked again? It shouldn’t have been. Cloud stared into the darkness, heart pounding harder and harder as the thick shadows seemed to spill heavier into the room, darker than before, writhing and growing toward him as the chill puffing his breath grew even colder. His breath hitched, he just needed to stop staring, he was seeing things in the dark. But, his hand, he couldn’t get a better grip, maybe he just needed to twist harder! Taking in a deep breath Cloud turned on his heel and grabbed the handle with both hands, and the moment he felt a tug on his shirt he gave a shrill gasp when the handle made a loud, crack of a pop before jerking free and he yanked it open before stepping out of darkness and into the bright lights of the hall. Across the hall he turned back around stared into the gaping maw of darkness that pressed against the barrier of the doorway, chest heaving as he pressed himself to the wall, mostly for comfort. Something solid and in the safety of the light.

“Cloud?”

The blonde jerked his face down the hall to his left where Sephiroth stood, sunglasses over his eyes, cane in his hands, pressed down between his feet from where he stood in the middle of the hall. Relaxing Cloud observed the dim yellow light of the hall before he looked back into the portal in front of him and squared his shoulders, grabbed the door handle and closed the door, but it started to creak back open.

“You need to lift it a little. I’m afraid the frame and door are no longer properly aligned,” Sephiroth said as his feet thumped over toward the blonde. Cloud grabbed the handle again, heart still jumping in his throat when he felt a brief caress of chilled air on his forearm as he pulled it closed again and lifted in the door in its frame until he heard and felt the click. When he let go that time, it stayed closed.

“You look like you got quite a scare. Did something happen?” Sephiroth asked.

“The light bulb exploded when I was looking for a replacement,” the blonde answered and the silverette hummed.

“Oh, I see. That must have been quite a jump scare, hm?” the man surmised and Cloud nodded before relaxing. Still unnerved to be in front of it, but relaxed in the light with his composed boss at his side.

“Yeah. I think I’ll change the light bulb later,” the blonde said. “I’m still getting used to this house, and that got me pretty damn good,” he added, forcing a small smile onto his face to try and throw off any thought that his boss could be developing that he was chicken shit and wouldn’t be able to do the job. He just had to steel his nerves better and stop getting scared over nothing.

“I can imagine,” Sephiroth said with a soft chuckle. Cloud turned toward the man and looked up in his face then.

“I keep feeling cold drafts. Is that a problem in this house?” the blonde asked. Sephiroth nodded.

“I’m afraid so. It’s old, and back when it was built we didn’t have the construction tools or standards we do now. Even though I did a lot of fixing up, the foundation and frame will only allow me to change so much in terms of design without simply demolishing it and building something new. Which of course, would have defeated my whole purpose,” the silverette explained as he turned, intent on going back down the hall and Cloud followed him. “Of course, it will have to be done eventually, but for now, the bones of this house are still quite strong and promise to endure for a while longer,” Sephiroth added. “Where will you head to next? You’ve been busy exploring I’ve noticed.”

“The guest house. I think some fresh air after that jump scare will be good,” Cloud answered and the silverette nodded.

“Sounds like a good idea. You’ll have to take care of that property too, of course. I am uncertain of its condition, since toward the end of Scarlet’s… career, she was unable to make it over there as often to tend to it. Perhaps if you feel up to it you can give it a dusting or something,” Sephiroth informed and the blonde nodded, relief flooding him as warmth finally settled into his bones and all the tension in his muscles fled, allowing his heart to relax.

“Yeah, I might do that,” Cloud said with a more genuine, albeit small smile. 

“Alright then. Just make sure to clean up the mess in the broom closet and I’ll call an electrician to take a look at the fixture,” Sephiroth informed. 

“Is that the problem?” Cloud asked curiously and the silverette chuckled softly, prompting a wave of uncertainty in the blonde. 

“I’ve never had a bulb explode before. I guessed from the sound it was going to, so it’s a fixture problem and not a bulb problem?” he asked.

“Most likely a problem in the wiring. We’ll know by tomorrow I’m sure,” Sephiroth said. “Either way, you needn’t worry about this matter until the electrician arrives. And I’ll let you know when as soon as you return from the guest house.” Cloud nodded in understanding.

“Okay.” After that the two parted, his boss went down the hall toward his bedroom and the blonde watched him a moment before turning down the stairs.

Stepping through the left side of the massive double doors rewarded Cloud with pain stabbing directly into his retinas. Hissing and squinting against the bright gray light of the overcast sky, he cracked his eyes open repeatedly, fluttering his long lashed eyelids, forcing himself to adjust as rapidly as he could. Within a few seconds he was able to keep his eyes open a crack as he stared out, brows knit with tension as his pupils tightened until he could finally open his eyes enough to fully take in the world around him. It was chilly, as could be expected as he finally stepped through the doorway and allowed it to close behind him. Looking up at the sky it was nothing but churning skies of gray and a chilled wind. The same one he apparently kept running into inside the house. Maybe he should order a sweater to wear if he was going to keep getting cold like that. The outside air made suffering the cold worth it. It must have rained in the morning, though the porch was dry, he could smell that the dirt around him was damp and the air clean. More rain was probably on the way too, judging by how dark and heavy some of the twisting clouds above looked.

He could smell the wildness around him, even the hint of the pine and aspen trees that competed for space at the edges of the rolling grassland. Sniffing in deep, a small, relaxed smile curved Cloud’s lips, relaxing muscles he hadn’t realized needed it. Perhaps taking breaks to go outside would be beneficial in getting used to the house. He could use the outside as a meditation ritual until he got used to all the damn quirks the old manor expressed. Stepping into the circular driveway and parking lot for the potential visitors it seemed like Sephiroth would never have, the blonde turned and looked back at the manor. It certainly was dark and ominous considering that every single window was just a whole of darkness. But really, if he was honest, the house looked more like it was asleep than evil.

The man inside it couldn’t create the warm, inviting glow that made a house look lived in and safe, instead it looked abandoned and abandoned homes had a tendency to invite the eerie. From outside with the gray light of the sun through the mid morning clouds banishing the shadows that loomed over the front of the house in the afternoon and early evening hours, the manor simply looked… un-lived. Though the cut grass made it clear it was indeed inhabited. Slipping his phone from his back pocket he hit the button on its top and the screen lit up. Excited he glanced at the battery, reading twenty-four percent. Shit. Well, it lasted longer than he thought it would have. With a relieved sigh he pocketed his phone as the screen timed off and walked across the gravel courtyard, the small tones crunching beneath his feet.

Cloud followed the dirt road forking off from the courtyard through the lush grasslands that checked the clusters of pine trees that barricaded the manor from the rest of the world down below, intent on finally seeing the guest house. Putting his experience in the broom closet behind him, the blonde was determined to not allow himself another moment of sheer panic. As he walked he turned over his experiences in the manor, trying to piece them together. Something was wrong. There was no way he could be tripping himself up at every turn. But, if the house was actually haunted, was it ever so active right off the bat? It was like something from a bad horror movie that didn’t have the slightest concept of pacing. And yet, every corner he turned he seemed to bump into something supernatural, or masquerading itself as something supernatural. Cloud’s heart thumped a little harder in his chest. Was Sephiroth fucking with him? By why would he? What was the point? But, surely if the place was haunted the blonde would have heard from the cab driver or something, right? Or Zack before he’d driven him up.

Was Sephiroth trying to immortalize the house as a haunted destination? But, he seemed so guarded, so protective of it; why would he do anything to intentionally draw attention to it? He seemed more reclusive than Cloud. Okay, he needed to think. His experience the night before was almost definitely a dream after the couple scares he’d had, which were entirely explainable as tricks of the mind. But they were enough to get his imagination going. The ballroom was him being hyper aware and scared of the dark in an unfamiliar place. The music room, well lots of things could explain that. It wasn’t like the harp just started playing on its own, it made little noise. It could have been jostled by Cloud disturbing the floorboards. Even the broom closet, he actually had a very logical reason for that, faulty wiring, a bad bulb and an offset door.

He’d been so freaked out he hadn’t even had the thought to examine the door in the moment. A warped door frame and sagging door would definitely cause it not to open without a little trick. With a sigh, the blonde stopped walking and let his head fall backward, bright blue eyes staring up at the overcast skies of rolling grays. He’d need to learn all the little tricks and secrets of the house in order for him to stop making a fool of himself. Resuming his walk, he shook his head, feeling guilty and foolish for his erratic, conspiratorial thoughts. He needed to relax, he was getting too jumpy. The house was old, just old. And this little trek, yeah, this breath of fresh air, and to emphasize the thought he took in another deep inhale of crisp, chilled air and released it back into the world.

Relief flooded the blonde’s chest and a smile curved his lips as he continued on his way, spirits lifted. About twenty minutes later, behind a grove of thin trunked trees he spotted the silhouette of a building. Hurrying up, his shoes crunched over the gravel and dirt of the road before he walked off the pathway and into the grove where he pushed his way through the thin trunks of the aspen trees, breaking into a small clearing where a two story brick house sat. Walking forward to the front of the house and back onto the gravel courtyard in front of it he cast his eyes to his right where he could see the curve of the road leading to the house, and smirked in satisfaction for skipping the extra effort to get to his destination.

The house was basically a giant rectangle of gray brick and stone with windows peering out from the front as he walked up to the large single doorway and admired the red paint on it, though it showed some weather damage and chipping at the bottom. Pulling out his pamphlet and keys, he found the one for the guest house and pushed it into the lock. There was something incredibly satisfying about hearing the bits of the key slide audibly through the pin tumblers before he twisted his wrist and a few quick, successive thunks followed suit before he was able to push the door open. Pulling the key ring away from the door and freeing the guest house key smiled at it, oddly pleased. Finally, he had a key to something he could open that was more exciting than a closet.

Immediately there was a noticeable difference between the guest house and the manor. While dim, the natural light that filtered in through the lattice windows seemed to dispel the more malevolent shadows of the manor. Cloud stood at the threshold, finding himself beneath the low ceiling of a rectangular main hall that ran long at his sides. Stepping inside the air smelled stale, but somehow less heavy, warmer in his lungs despite its temperature roughly mirroring the chill from outside. The floor was a warmer brown and glistened beneath the gray light spilling in from the front windows and the doorway he blocked. The corners didn’t seem quite as dark either, the shadows were certainly less stubborn. Closing the door behind him he paused at the echo he heard, but relaxed himself as he cast his eye to his left where a stairway pressed up to the corner of the house and then turned up to an upper floor. It was particularly dark over there, but there didn’t seem to be any windows. To his right was some sort of sitting room that he walked over toward, his shoes thumping lightly over the plainly polished wood as he looked down at the large rug that spilled over the floor in ornate, warm colors of browns and whites with a little black here and there. A couch and a couple of love seats of another flowery embroidered design sat in the middle of the room with some rather artful throw blankets neatly laid over the back of the furniture. A fanciful lamp rested on a side table, and in the corners of the room sat some accent tables which also house lamps. Everything was centered toward the front of the house, facing the window that allowed its gray light to spill across the room and chase the shadows away.

Turning back into the entrance hall Cloud walked into the next room which was dark, but far less tension filled his chest as he reached for and found the light switch quickly. Flipping it on revealed a large kitchen beneath bright, warm light that chased away the darkness with ease. It was far more modern without emphasis on preservation that had been taken with the manor, but in the very center of the room sat most definitely a very old, and preserved fireplace with even a rusty looking, old cauldron hanging inside it. The inside and even the sides of the fireplace were black with burn and soot that would probably never come out.

The fireplace was made up of various similar sized stones, not exactly even in placement but still crammed tight together as they made up the base and neck that was cut off and sealed by cement, something more recently implemented. It was clearly for looks. To his left was the actual stove and oven with decent counter space and a fridge. There were couches and chairs on the other side of the fireplace arranged in a circle, clearly a gathering place for people to chat while the food was made. Right, that made what he was standing in a keeping room. With a small smile the blonde turned to the right and peeked his head through the square entryway.

Dark but lit up enough from another window was a room housing a long polished wood dining table fitted with chairs. Excited, he walked across the keeping room to another entryway and found a room very similar to the sitting room, but there was the addition of a large table on the far right wall with a bookcase by it and a large wood dresser that looked like an old library card cabinet or medicine cabinet pressed to the left hand side of the wall across from him. Curiosity struck the blonde and after finding the light switch, flipped it on for the ceiling light to fill the space with warm light. The light was brighter than the manor, perhaps because Sephiroth didn’t really venture out to the guest house? Dropping the question he posed himself, Cloud walked over and picked a drawer at random from the cabinet to pull open. Inside he found nothing.

With a frown he checked a few more, but all were empty. With a sigh he gave up and stepped back, admiring the much warmer, homey feel of the room with the light on. The entire guest house was more welcoming for strangers, though it did make sense with it being a place for visitors. It felt like a place that would be fun to stay at, especially with family or friends. With a soft hum he walked back toward the kitchen and flipped the light off in the drawing room when his phone vibrated in his back pants pocket. Jumping slightly in surprise the blonde slid his phone from his pocket and his heart fluttered at the sight of a very familiar name on the screen and answered before putting the device to his ear.

“Cloud! Geez! You’re alive!” Zack gasped out and a rarely seen broad smile curved the young man’s lips as he leaned against the side of the entryway between rooms and crossed his ankles.

“Yeah, what did you expect,” Cloud answered, voice as calm and measured as always.

“I dunno. That maybe you got kidnapped by a serial killer in a creepy mansion,” the ravenette declared with a smile that could be heard in his voice, which prompted an eye roll from the blonde as he pulled away from the wood beam and walked through the kitchen and flipped off the light with the intent to go for the stairs.

“Haha,” Cloud said, mock enthused and his friend chuckled.

“Why you not respondin’ to my texts?” Zack asked and the blonde quirked a brow as he turned into the dark corner the stairs resided in, spotting a door to his right and opening it to realize it led into the drawing room and hadn’t realized it was there. With a shrug he closed the barrier and went toward the stairs where he found a light switch and flipped it on.

“I haven’t gotten any texts,” Cloud said before deciding to check and see. The blonde’s heart skipped a beat when his history with the ravenette revealed a slew of messages that, of course, went unanswered while his friend’s voice continued in the background, not really noticed as Cloud read through a few of them. Mostly Zack’s typical random messages until they bled into questions of how he was doing, asking why he wasn’t answering, and then asking if he was okay.

“Cloud?”

The blonde brought his phone back to his ear.

“Sorry. I swear, I wasn’t getting your texts. I looked and I got them now. Geeze, Zack,” Cloud said as he started up the stairs.

“I thought you said you had crappy service, but enough to get texts,” Zack said in quotation of his friend’s statement the day before.

“I do. I don’t know why I wasn’t getting them. I kept expecting to hear from you, but got nothing,” Cloud explained before grinning again. “Well, now I can watch you overreact in like 2 minutes.”

“Hey, it was like eighteen hours. My last text was like two hours ago,” the ravenette defended with a grumble. “Seriously, you’re in some unknown guy's house, yeah, I know he’s your boss and all. But, stranger danger and all that. I thought I’d be okay if I could just check on you here and there, and if you went dark I’d drive up and make sure everything was okay,” Zack explained.

“Zack, Sephiroth doesn’t want people just showing up. Don’t do that unless you think something is seriously wrong, or you’ll get me in trouble. It’s his house, I need to inform him about visitors. And he doesn’t seem to mind them, but he wants to know ahead of time. You’re twenty-first snobbery is showing,” Cloud informed, smirking a bit at the end of his statement as he flipped on another light switch at the top of the stairs, revealing a long hall of doorways to his right.

“Haha,” Zack said, throwing the blonde’s earlier mock laugh his way. “Why is he so guarded?”

“I don’t exactly know the reason, but he does have a medical condition that may very well make him wary of others barging into his house. I mean, he’s obviously protective of the house, but I think a lot might have to do with him wanting to make sure no one opens the window curtains or uses bright lights,” Cloud explained.

“What? Why can’t we brighten the house up?” Zack asked quickly as the blonde examined the door at the top of the stairs in front of him, finding a full, spacious bathroom.

“He’s got photophobia. And despite its name it’s got nothing to do with fear. His house is so dark because he’s extremely sensitive to light and it causes him serious pain. Even with the house as dark as it is he wears sunglasses even,” Cloud explained, tone inflecting how severe his boss’ condition was.

“Or… maybe he’s hiding his eyes, maybe there’s something wrong with them. Maybe he’s constantly baked! Or a vampire,” Zack laughed and the blonde rolled his eyes as he examined a door just off the banister behind him and found another, not quite as large, full bathroom.

“Haha,” Cloud responded and his friend chuckled.

“Okay. Well, obviously, you’re fine. So, you can ignore my texts. Maybe you should drop by wherever you are from time to time and just shoot me a message, let me know what’s up and I’ll keep my trigger happy fingers off my phone screen,” Zack suggested and Cloud smiled.

“Sounds good. I’m in the guest house, exploring since I’m not actually starting until tomorrow. Today I’m getting to know my surroundings,” Cloud informed.

“Ah~ So then, how was your first night?” the ravenette asked.

“Actually, I scared the shit out of myself,” the blonde informed as he opened the first door along the hallway to his left and found a small, quaint bedroom. Not much was in there, a queen sized bed nestled in the left hand corner, two bedside tables one either side of it, a chest of drawers against the wall to his right, and a chair on the doorside wall, all sitting on top of a thick world rug in the middle of the wood floor. A window at the back of the room offered some natural light, and flipping on the light revealed a bright, warm light that brought the more nature focused colors of the room to life. Flipping the light off, Cloud closed the door and went to the next, finding a duplicate room.

“The conspiratorial part of me is wondering if the house is haunted, but seriously, it’s just old and I’m getting myself worked up over really mundane shit. And I flashed my boss in the eyes with my phone light last night, that went pretty bad. He forgave me for it, but I’m sure he must have been in tremendous pain. I feel like a moron about the whole thing,” Cloud paused when he realized he hadn’t heard any of Zack’s exuberant responses and paused to listen and heard nothing. Quickly he pulled his phone from his ear and noticed the screen had gone dark. Heart sinking into his stomach in disappointment he tried to turn the screen back on, and all he got was a visual image of a nearly dead battery taking up the whole screen in red and sighed. Shit.

“Sorry, Zack. I’ll call tomorrow,” Cloud mumbled as he slid his phone into his back pocket and went about checking the rest of the room, which all were the same set up as the first bedroom. Done with that, the blonde made his way downstairs, turning off the hall light and then the one for the staircase before stopping at the front door and casting his eyes toward the kitchen with its antique fireplace that must have dated the house, or at least the bottom of it, back a few hundred years. The guest house may have been older than the manor. Forgetting entirely he had been asked to dust, the blonde exited the guest house, locked the door with his key, and went back toward the manor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now that Cloud is pretty much done with his initial exploration, things will progress faster as he gets the hang of his chores and gets to know his boss while dealing with his self-induced scares.


	5. Encounter 5: The Doll Snaps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud has a break down and realizes he can't deny it anymore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! So, I have a few things to say here in regards to this chapter. My computer fan died and in my hurry to save data so that I can have my laptop repaired via warranty, I actually lost all of chapter five. Which was half done. DX I was actually very worried I'd lost all I'd written for the final chapter of Transmutation too, but that was backed on docs. So that's safe! As a result I had to spend a couple days rewriting it, after finding other ways of getting stuff written. I have a makeshift laptop I can use during certain hours of the day, and my Chromebook, though I hate writing on the thing. lol I'm really disappointed this had to happen during October. DX 
> 
> Anyway, after much stress and heartache, and me anxious to make sure everything goes smoothly with my laptop repair, this chapter is out! I feel like the first part isn't as good as it was originally because my frame of mind was frustrated when re-writing. I tried to improve it when I went over it again, so hopefully it's all good. The only difference is that my first go through had a more detailed description of the last area in the house as Cloud walked through it. It's not as detailed now, though I think perhaps that might be for the best. I worry I bore people with the house descriptions, and it's not a major area of the house anyway. 
> 
> Playlist/soundtrack
> 
> In This Moment: [In The Air Tonight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZS2O4dXFXE)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Blood Pulse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onHdoaxTdPw)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Warped Mind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkurXmkUFTg)  
> Ayako Toyoda: [ Another Hallway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trkYXmTvlro&list=PLD0B2C600CB0FEF64&index=4)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Only a Nightmare ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEWLDJc2YDE)  
> Mikko Tarmia: [ Darkness](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8jFc2Wmfcs)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Prisonic Fairytale ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk-3uAkcPXQ)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Wail of Warning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrWsWNOOfuQ)  
> Marilyn Manson: [ Born Villain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06LXBa-MbH0)  
> The Birthday Massacre: [ Surrender](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB0UzaGbUUY)  
> Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! 
> 
> **There are no warnings for this chapter, so no need to worry about scrolling/clicking to the bottom of the page.**

Once through the tall left side of the front double doors of the manor, Cloud couldn’t help but wonder how on earth Scarlet while so ill could have moved such a heavy barrier on her own. Staring up at the inside through the low light of the manor his eyes traced the organic branching leaves that sprawled up along the sides of the door before arching up toward the center seam where the doors met. It seemed the entire house had a nature theme, though from what he had seen through his life of old houses in movies and paintings, nature was a popular theme. With a sigh, he turned from the door and remembered that Sephiroth had told him he would inform him about the electrician and so peeked into the study to find it unoccupied. With a frown, Cloud walked through the foyer, wondering where his boss had gone when he caught sight of a small orange pin prick orb in the dense shadows of the library. 

Squinting he walked up to the threshold and peered inside, and on a couch to his left in the middle of the library he could just make out a mass of darkness somehow darker than the shadow filling the room to the brim. Despite earlier discontent with the shadows that liked to congregate in the corners of the library and how he could still almost swear the shadows in the house were alive, he took a step into the room, his heart thumping harder in his chest. Cloud stopped, closed his eyes for a moment and took a breath. It was just the dark, he was supposed to have kicked his fear of it ages ago. Stepping quietly from the hard floor of the polished wood onto one of the large rugs that covered the middle of the library floor his steps grew dramatically muffled as he leaned forward, still trying to make out what was on the couch. The mass looked in repose, and the closer he drew the more he could make out what looked like a head leaned against the back of the couch, detailing a humanoid figure. 

“Sephiroth?” Cloud called softly, but received no response. Tension filled his chest and caught his breath as he moved a little closer, close enough that he could finally identify the orange orb as a candle stick sitting on one of the side tables by the far end of the couch the shadow figure reclined against.

“Sephiroth?” he called again and the head seemed to finally move before a low, rumbling groan filtered into the air.

“Hm? Cloud?” his boss’ sleep dazed voice called, followed by a deep sniff that could be audibly heard before the form of shadow sat up. Cloud visibly relaxed, though the prickle at the base of his spine kept his shoulders a bit tense while catching the swirling masses of shadows in the corners of the room and nestled between bookcases as the cushions squeaked beneath the silverette as he appeared to sit upright.

“You’re back from the guest house already?” his boss asked.

“Yeah,” Clouds answered, voice still slightly tense as the man gave a hum and the blonde watched as the silverette’s figure rose up from the couch. Somehow he looked at least three feet taller, turning him into a towering, lumbering creature as he moved and the light from the candle was blocked by a wall of darkness before it reappeared in what could only be the man’s hand.

“I was going to read and thought I’d relax, but I fell asleep instead it seems,” Sephiroth informed with a soft chuckle and Cloud gave a small smile even though there was no way it could be seen. 

“Let’s go somewhere we can see, shall we?” the silverette asked and the blonde eagerly took the lead, letting the tickling pinch in the base of his spine take control of his legs and walked back out into the low light of the foyer with the heavy step of Sephiroth's feet behind him. Out in the hall Cloud turned back around and was met with his boss, dressed in a black pea coat over a plain black dress shirt and black slacks. There was no design or artistry in the fabrics, other than his hair and the skin his boss looked like a wall of shadow even in the light of the house. With the addition of his sunglasses and cane, he honestly looked like a vampire rather than a human. 

“Let’s have a seat,” Sephiroth said as he took the lead and the two made their way into the sitting room by the front door. The silverette took up one of the arm chairs and Cloud settled onto a couch on the end closest to his boss as he watched the man sank down after he set his candle down on the coffee table, and let his head fall back against the tall back back of the cushy chair.

“The electrician will be here at ten tomorrow morning. So you’ll need to be ready for him,” Sephiroth informed with a lift of his head to presumably look at his employee and Cloud nodded. “I’ll be waiting for him in my study. All you need to do is inform him about the light rules in the house, though he really need only observe them in the foyer and study as I will stay there until he is done, and show him to the broom closet. After that he can be left to his own devices,” the silverette explained and the blonde nodded in understanding. For a brief moment he itched to put the appointment in his phone and only stopped when he remembered the dead battery. He needed to charge it as soon as he could. 

The two fell into silence, prompting Cloud to struggle for a way to break it when his boss spoke again, asking of all things about ShinRa U. The blonde relaxed, relieved in his seat; he’d never been a good conversationalist and struggled through every moment of public speaking he’d ever had to do, including classroom presentations. They covered various topics under Sephiroth’s line of questions, from the teachers, and found out they had shared quite a few such as their English 101 instructor who had forced the class to read the same exact, dated reading materials even though the blonde had been six years after the silverette, to school events and gossip. 

What really got Cloud though, was when his boss asked if the cafeteria served the same insanely salty fish cakes, which brought forth the unpleasant memory of being forced to eat them by his teammates as a freshman. The upperclassmen would challenge freshman team members to physical challenges, and if they lost they had the pleasure of eating a mountain of the special fishy, salt mine cakes. Cloud had been treated to the punishment game on his loss too many times until he’d finally increased his abilities enough to either win or end in a draw. After a time no one challenged him anymore, not even the assholes that knew they could beat him in bench press. Still, the very memory made his stomach churn. When the blonde confirmed his boss had laughed and informed Cloud to his horror that he had been the one to start the game and expressed surprise that it had not only caught on, but was still being practiced. 

“I had been a bit of a bully in my college years, and I enjoyed giving trouble to the freshman players,” Sephiroth admitted and the blonde had to resist glowering at the man who chuckled knowingly, probably having already induced why his employee had such a look on his face.

“Well, it is almost lunch, are you ready to eat something?” his boss asked, a teasing chuckle to his words and Cloud’s lips pursed as his brows tightened into a look of disapproval as the man stood up, still giving that dazzling curve of a smile. 

“Sure,” the blonde said with a huff as he dropped the subject and decided to bury his shock and stood up. Even if he was horrified that Sephiroth had been the progenitor to some of his freshman suffering, Cloud ate up the tidbit of knowledge, entertaining what his boss might have acted like if they had met in school. Which was to say, probably not good. Lunch was simple, a sandwich with a side of salad, and it was while stewing on their conversation that a thought occurred to the blonde. 

“You played sports right? Was your hair always long? What about your photophobia?” Cloud asked, freezing when he realized that perhaps he was being too nosy, but the handsome smile that curved his boss’ lips relaxed him somewhat.

“I did have long hair, though not as long as it is now. I used to tie it and wear a hair net under my helmet. When I was teased I used to joke my long hair was for extra protection,” his boss explained and Cloud averted his eyes, feeling an odd flutter in his chest. So Sephiroth had always had long hair, and couldn’t stop himself from trying to conjure up the mental image. “As for my photophobia, I was not diagnosed until I’d moved into the manor. I’d always been sensitive to light, but it had never been particularly debilitating. Though I suffered frequent migraines from it, I didn’t realize the two were connected. It was only after I moved in and started working on the house that my condition dramatically worsened and I found myself needing to live my life in darkness,” his boss explained and Cloud frowned. He couldn’t even imagine it, it was such a change to have to endure. Sephiroth could never go outside and look at the sky or enjoy a sunrise or sunset. It was rather depressing really.

“That really sucks, I’m sorry,” the blonde muttered and the sensation of a cool hand touching his shoulder jolted a shock down his spine before Cloud snapped his eyes to his boss’s obscured, but no doubt focused gaze.

“It’s alright. We can’t all be perfect, though we may strive for it. I have my eyes, and you have your legs. I’m afraid living creatures are just imperfect and prone to breaking,” Sephiroth said, his tone oddly imploring, as if he were trying to let some sort of secret philosophy slip through his teeth, but Cloud just stared dumbly at the man before nodding in understanding of the obviousness of the statement.

The two finished eating in comfortable silence after that before they parted with Sephiroth informing the blonde that he was going to rest in his room. Cloud meanwhile decided to explore the one area of the house he had not gone into on his own yet. Walking down the curved hallway to the billiard room he made sure to stay in the low lights he flipped on and avoided looking into the ominous and dark corners of the rooms as he made his way to the surprisingly modern bar. It would have been a nice place to hang out for young people, especially college age. The bar was sleek and modern with stools lined along its polished counter. Small round tables were nestled against a section of free standing wall that helped enclose the banner area and create a hall on the other side. It was a little odd in how it clashed with the rest of the house, especially given his boss’ insistence on preserving the house as much as possible. 

Cloud wondered briefly if the person who had owned the house before Sephiroth had updated the left wing of the house, but then remembered that the manor had been left to ruin. So… didn’t that imply it was falling apart before the silverette came along? So then, did Sephiroth update the bar area? It also didn’t match with how secluded the man was, though he did admit that he had only lost his ability to enjoy light after moving in. So when he had first bought the place he may have been intending to modernize it and socialize. Huh, it was an interesting thought he’d have to ask about. At the end of the hall Cloud found another drawing room toward the front of the house and frowned when behind the door revealed pitch darkness, and it was the sort of darkness that seemed to always come with one of his scares. He frowned when he remembered his phone was still dead and with a sigh closed the barrier. There was no way he was risking another scare, and so returned back to the foyer before he went up to the second floor and to his room. He’d charge his phone and relax in bed until dinner, maybe shave to be presentable.

Cloud made his way up to his room and plugged in his phone to charge off the wall before he walked over and grabbed one of the books he’d stacked on his chest of drawers. As he did so his eyes caught sight of the doll bearing his resemblance and frowned at it slightly before he decided to ignore it and sat down on his bedspread, back against the headboard and ankles crossed. Flipping to the folded over corner of the page he’d last left off before his move, his eyes skimmed for his exact place before he paused and lifted his eyes back to the doll. 

Honestly the only thing he didn’t have any reason for was the doll. It’s head had turned, he was sure of it. Though, thinking about the ridiculousness of a doll’s head moving one its own, it almost had to have been a mistake, maybe he was confusing images from his nightmare with his waking experiences. A doll’s head could not move on its own, a haunted doll, sure. But, was that really even truly possible? Cloud looked down at his book again and paused, just looking out the top of his eye he could see the bright blue pigment used for the doll’s own eyes and his lips pursed as his brow furrowed. Okay, there was one way to take care of the creepy doll once and for all. He placed the book down on its open pages and stood up, walked over to the dresser, grabbed the doll by its trunk and stuffed it into one of the bottom drawers. Satisfied and ashamedly relieved, he walked back to his bed, took up his previous position, grabbed his book, and started to read. 

After a little while his phone vibrated against the surface of the bedside table, and glancing at it read a full charge and he smiled in satisfaction as he checked the time, folded the ear of his page, and stood up. It was almost dinner time. He shaved in the bathroom to make sure he was presentable and went downstairs to set the table. After a dinner of pot roast, potatoes and carrots, Cloud cleaned the dishes and put them away before he took his charged phone to the broom closet. Not willing to be spooked again he braced the off kilter door with one of the heavy tool boxes and after setting his phone against the wall one of the wood workbenches sat facing him, he swept up the broken glass from the bulb and dumped it in the waste bin by the door, flipped the light switch off, put everything away, grabbed his phone, and exited. And thankfully, no cold spot or eerie shadows had teased him this time around. 

Sephiroth was retiring to his room when Cloud came back onto the gallery walkway from the broom closet and the silverette gave the blonde a smile, who smiled back shyly at the alluring curve of the man’s lips. Sometimes he couldn’t help but wonder if Sephiroth was smiling like that at him on purpose. After that he bathed and enjoyed his private time with less embarrassment and guilt, indulging in a more heady imagining supplied by some of the knowledge he’d learned of his boss. 

After that he returned to his room relaxed, and crawled into bed after plugging his phone in and checking to see if he had any new messages, which he didn’t. Laying on his side, he couldn’t help remembering his nightmare from the night before and took in a deep breath before releasing it slowly as he let his eyes drift closed. He needed to not think about it, it was just a bad dream. Tomorrow he had to get up early and start on his chore list, and deal with the electrician, only realizing as he was drifting off that he would have to take the man to the utilities room too so that he could take a look without wandering around lost. At least the second half of his day had been uneventful and calm. Perhaps he was finally over all the spooks in the house.

Cloud’s eyelids struggled open as if being pulled by some invisible threads to stay closed, his pupils widening as he adjusted to the near total darkness of the room around him. A scant haze of a light settled around him, flicking from a light somewhere near him as the smell of melting wax pressed into his nose. There was an odd hum and the sound of footsteps on stone softly struck the air, almost echoing around him as he stared up, unable to move. It was hard beneath his back, and a humid warmth settled over his flesh before hands slid along the flesh of his right arm that sat limp at his side, palm up. Something pressed into his skin, something almost sharp, but he felt oddly numb as he finally managed to turn his head, though the move turned into more of a slump as he stared out to the side. A shadow stood near him, featureless as the sound of feet shuffled across the ground, clearly belonging to the shadow. Sliding his eyes down Cloud felt his heart pulse faster at the sight of a thick plastic tube with something dark and reddish inside as he followed the tube to where it dipped off of the table.

The low humming caught his attention again and as he lifted his gaze for lack of being able to move his head, he noticed an ancient mechanical box humming three or so feet from him. There were no lights on it though various dials were displayed in the low flickering light with needles swayed from side to side while one large gear turned smoothly at the side of the box. The figure stopped then, freezing when the blonde’s eyes settled on it again as his heart beat harder in his chest, eyes wide and pupils blown in the dark. The shadow walked to the table and stooped over him, menacing and large as a veil of hair fell over its face and a black, gaping voice for a face stared down at Cloud. Or perhaps it was just too dark to see. He stared, unable to look away from the thing’s face as one long limb of spidering fingers reached forward and stroked down the side of his cheek. The blonde’s breath stuttered. It smelled like blood, coppery blood. The hand stroked up the side of his face and settled into his hair, the long fingers stroking through the tufts of blonde spikes on Cloud’s head before the hand slid down and the blonde felt pressure on his eyelids as they were slid down, bathing him in darkness once again.

A chilled breath shuddered past Cloud’s lips as he pulled his comforter tighter over his shoulder, knees drawing up from where he lay on his side before a shake to his shoulder drew a disgruntled groan from him. Throwing the hand off he pulled his knees higher, shivering even beneath his blanket when the grip on his shoulder returned and he was shook so hard his whole body moved. Cloud yelped and bolted upright, eyes open wide as he jerked his gaze around his room and behind him. It was pitch black without his lamp on and he froze, heart slamming in his chest and pumping in his ears as he stared wide-eyed around him, as if somehow not moving would mean he was safe from the unknown threat. He touched his right shoulder with trembling fingers as the cold pressed in tighter around him and his heart gave an unnatural twist in his chest, drawing uncomfortable lines across his face as he remained, frozen. He couldn't see anything. But he was certain someone had shaken him. Someone had touched him! Or did he dream that too? 

He remembered his dream and grimaced. It was part of that unsettling dream. It had to have been. Heaving a sigh that was only somewhat comforting, Cloud rolled onto his hip, twisted, and stretched his hand out, heart rate increasing again. He hated not knowing what he was touching, or could touch. Even if it had been a dream, it seemed the anxiousness was clinging to him still as his fingers scrabbled for and finally found the small half circle switch for the light on its neck and twisted. The light flashed on, bright after such pitch darkness and he squinted his eyes against it for a brief moment before quickly turning his gaze to scan the room. Empty. 

Cloud’s eyes stopped on the chest of drawers and his breath caught. That was impossible. No, it wasn’t right. He stared in disbelief, his heart squeezing and twisting unnaturally in his chest as he stared at the doll, the doll of mini Cloud sitting on the dresser where it had been before he’d decided on its new home in one of the bottom drawers. He swallowed, his throat tight and dry and he winced in pain as he turned his eyes to his bedroom door which he realized with a startle was wide open. Quickly he grabbed for his phone and when he pulled it to his face hissed in pain and dropped it into his lap to examine his right inner elbow joint where he saw to his surprise, a bright red, swollen bite. A frown turned his lips as he examined and gently touched it, sending sharp bolts of pain through his elbow and up his arm and winced as he pulled his fingers away. What the fuck bit him? A big spider? 

Carefully he picked up his phone again and turned on the screen, the time reading back four ten in the morning. With a frown he looked at his bedroom door again. Maybe he hadn’t closed his door all the way and it popped open? Pulling his blanket off Cloud put his feet to the floor and realized only then that he was pretty sure he’d been really cold just a few moments before. He swallowed again, it hurt less, but his throat was still incredibly dry. Stuffing his bare feet haphazardly into his shoes he walked up to his door and peeked out. A pitch black hall. Turning his phone light on he pointed it low to the ground and carefully slid it up the floor when something red, like the foot of a red shoe just cleared the corner of the hall and a gasp hit the back of his throat, though it never passed his closed lips. 

Heart slamming its fastest yet, he walked out of his room and crept close to the wall, eyes wide and senses on high alert as he padded his way as quietly as he could down the hall. An intruder? Had someone actually broken in? He made his way to the corner, chest tighter and nerves sizzling where he stopped and took in a deep, very careful breath as he listened. He didn’t hear any footsteps. Releasing the breath Cloud turned his light, still kept it low but high enough for the stubborn shadows to give way at least enough to render him able to see, but still their thickness prevented him from seeing very far down the gallery. 

Peeling himself from the wall and rounding the corner he walked carefully, watching for the slightest movement around him when he heard something, the sound of something heavy sliding across the floor in front of him. Heart jumping into his throat and heart pounding hard he went in the direction he had heard it despite the fact that it had gone silent. Was Sephiroth awake? Just as he neared the stairs he carefully cast his light down the hall toward his boss’ room. And his entire world halted only for a second. The color of crimson and the definite shape of a humanoid figure had been in the hallway. Just a flash, and it was gone. Cloud stood rooted to the spot, not breathing, not even aware of how fast his heart raced as he stared down the hall where beneath the crack of the large double doors that led to the master bedroom was a faint light. Once the moment of complete paralysis was over, he turned and rushed down the stairs, his feet half jammed into his shoes hitting the wood beams and across rug carpets in fast, rapid steps until he turned the corner, went down the hall, and burst into his room before slamming the door shut behind. Cloud stared at the space of his room, finally realizing how fast his heart was racing, and how dizzy he’d become until he finally managed to loosen his aching jaw enough to suck in much needed air. 

After a few laborious moments of near wheezing he straightened up and his eyes landed on the doll. That fucking doll! And what was that red thing?! It just fucking vanished! Or did he imagine the whole fucking thing? No, he was awake this time. He knew he’d put that doll away. He knew he had closed his door properly. Fuck, fuck, fuck! Frustrated, Cloud stomped over to the doll and roughly grabbed the thing by the trunk, and for a moment he thought to throw it for always giving him the creeps. But instead searched for some other place to shove it. His eyes landed on the Chifferobe and he walked over to it, opened the doors, and glanced up at the small, narrow shelf above the wrack where his coats hung. Shoving the doll on the shelf on its back, he closed the doors and stepped back, glaring at it. He had better not see that fucking thing again.

Covered in sweat, wide awake and anything but relaxed, Cloud decided to shower. Maybe he could collect himself, and maybe he could try and sleep, but also noted it was most likely too late for that with waking time so close. He grabbed his shower stuff and walked with fast, determined steps, intent on telling anything else he saw or felt to fuck off as he made his way to the bathroom, turned the light on, and closed the door. The bright lights of the bathroom were somewhat comforting, allowing some ease to fill his tense nerves and sore muscles, in fact everything felt better except his elbow joint which was throbbing and burning, and his stomach. He suddenly felt nauseous and his stomach felt full with something solid. With a frown, he stripped off his clothes and kicked his shoes off before he turned the water on and routed it to the showerhead.

Once the water was a good temperature Cloud climbed in with his shampoo, conditioner, and bar soap, and closed the curtain around him. Settling the items on the floor at the back of the tub he stepped under the spray and let the warm water soak into his hair until it flattened to his skull and draped down over his face. The bar of soap was first, he wet it and scrubbed it over himself he ran his hands over his body, allowing the heat and smell of soap soothe his senses. After carefully placing the bar soap on the edge of the world rug in the middle of the bathroom that extended to the tub outside the shower curtain, he let the falling water wash the soap suds away. A draft caught his attention and he turned to look over his shoulder, eyes drifting up to the open top of the shower before his eyes caught a sliver of shadow by the door that gaped open wider and wider. 

He froze and stared, trying to discern the growing gape that could only be the doorway opening in disbelief. Frowning he stood and stared, watching when he finally heard the barest of a creak. He watched and waited, but nothing happened. With a sigh, Cloud decided to ignore it and turned back around. Sephiroth would notice the light well enough to keep from being hurt, right? Maybe the house had a bigger problem with doors than just the broom closet. It wouldn’t be surprising, considering the house’s age. He was getting tired of all the unbelievable bullshit. There had to be an explanation for what he saw. Maybe he literally just saw something that wasn’t really there. He had flashed himself with the light in his bedroom, maybe he had been seeing red spots still. 

Just as he finished and turned to grab his shampoo something moved in from the gaping maw of the door outside his curtain and he froze again and stared. Something dark was seeping into the room. His brow creased. It had to be a nightmare, this was too much shit too often. Or maybe he was going insane. Unnerved and feeling a weakness in his knees Cloud sank down, half hiding behind the lip of the tub as he watched. The draft was getting worse, not stronger, but colder despite the hot water pouring from the shower head. Cloud shivered and backed up into the water to keep warm. His eyes grew wide, heart thumping loud in his ears when some sort of disfigured shape slid from the darkness of the doorway. It was tall, black in patches almost smokey, though he could almost swear he could see the room still behind it, as if whatever seemed to float into the room was not opaque. Lungs locked tight in his chest, Cloud watched, transfixed by the unclear image that seemed to move, but he couldn’t tell in what way, and then, with a blink, it was gone.

He bolted up and quickly pulled the towel from the shelf on the wall by the bath, let it fall open, and secured it around his hips despite the pour of the water drenching it before he roughly twisted the knobs to turn the water off while keeping his eyes fixed on the distorted doorway through the curtain. Carefully, Cloud peeled the curtain open enough to poke his head out. The room was empty. The door was open. Carefully he settled his feet onto the rug and padded softly toward the entrance of the bathroom and looked out. He could see nothing in the darkness of the loft or gallery. A prickle raced up his spine and his flesh goosebumped when he ran into the cold grip of air again and stumbled back into the bathroom. 

He steeled himself then, glaring at the entrance before he grabbed his phone from the bathroom counter and turned on the flashlight app. Steeling his spine and stubbornly pushing his feet forward he walked into the loft and carefully slid his light along the floors and walls. Fuck whatever the hell this was. He heard a thump followed by a rattle and turned his direction toward his left. He walked careful and slow as he made his way across the gallery, finding with increasing discomfort that he was once again at the stairs looking either down into the truly pitch black foyer below or Sephiroth’s door. He stared at the crack of light beneath it, chest so tight is nearly hurt to breathe. 

A breath of chilled air hit his bare back and Cloud stiffened, his breath catching in his chest when a he felt a cold breeze, or a hand through his drying spikes of hair and his eyes rounded before he burst forward, mostly dry feet hitting the floor and pushing him down the hallway from the cold spot and toward Sephiroth’s door. He barely managed to slap the light to his damp chest before he slammed his fist on the barrier, heart racing maddeningly in his chest. In but a moment’s time the door to Cloud’s right opened, allowing the low light from within to hit the barrier of shadow outside the threshold and sunglass covered eyes looked down while wide blue stared up.

“Something is in here!” Cloud gasped, shivering even as warmth rapidly settled over his skin. The silverette looked down the hall, his lips a frown before he motioned with his arm into his room, and the blonde wasted not a moment in stepping into the light. His boss stared outside the door for a second longer before closing it and twisting the lock in the long handle. He turned to Cloud then as the blonde turned his phone light app off and wrapped his arms around himself.

“Did you see someone?” Sephiroth asked in a tense, grave tone and regrettably Cloud had to shake his head, and realizing how upset the man might become, felt a rush of adrenaline as his lips parted and words flew out of his mouth in rapid fire.

“There’s something wrong with this house! I swear, there’s weird noises, my door was open! The bathroom door opened on its own. And I swear, the cold I keep feeling I don’t think is a draft. It’s localized to specific spots! I know I sound nuts, and I’m not a believer in weird crap, but I can’t figure out what I’m experiencing. I swear someone shook me away, but no one was there!” Cloud gasped out, sequence and rationale frayed as he struggled to try and grasp everything and put it together, which created a bizarre mishmash of various thoughts as they came to him in no right order. Sephiroth was silent for a tense moment and the blonde fought to try and keep the painful tension in his chest away, but was failing.

“I know I sound manic, but I think this house might actually be haunted!” Cloud declared, hoping to bring something from his boss, some sound or reaction. A sigh passed the man’s lips finally.

“I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope the pacing was all right with this chapter.


	6. Encounter 6: The Doll and The Doll Maker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud and Sephiroth have a heart to heart about the house but Cloud is still too shaken up to be left alone. And so Sephiroth makes a proposal that could benefit them both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! New chapter is out! And thank you so much to everyone interacting with the story! ^_^ I hope you all enjoy! 
> 
> Pretty big deal in this chapter! At least for Cloud. XD
> 
> If you're seeing this chapter when it was posted, I'm not able to respond to comments at the moment, but I will when I have a proper screen to look at~
> 
> Playlist/soundtrack
> 
> In This Moment: [In The Air Tonight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZS2O4dXFXE)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Blood Pulse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onHdoaxTdPw)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Warped Mind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkurXmkUFTg)  
> Ayako Toyoda: [ Another Hallway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trkYXmTvlro&list=PLD0B2C600CB0FEF64&index=4)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Only a Nightmare ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEWLDJc2YDE)  
> Mikko Tarmia: [ Darkness](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8jFc2Wmfcs)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Prisonic Fairytale ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk-3uAkcPXQ)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Wail of Warning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrWsWNOOfuQ)  
> Marilyn Manson: [ Born Villain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06LXBa-MbH0)  
> The Birthday Massacre: [ Surrender](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB0UzaGbUUY)  
>  **Warnings for the chapter are posted at the end, if you want them click or scroll to the bottom of the chapter. Otherwise, feel free to read on!**

Cloud stared up at the silverette, heart clenching as the words sank in. 

“Y-you know?” he repeated, having trouble believing what he was hearing. After all that he’d gone through, trying to figure it out, trying to reason it away, and Sephiroth knew the whole time?

“Yes,” his boss said, a grave dip to his lips as his arms crossed over his bare stomach, and while the knowledge that the man wasn’t wearing a shirt clicked into place it was filed away in favor of more pressing matters.

“While I have never experienced anything, you are not the first to tell me similar things. Doors opening, strange sounds… footsteps-”

“You told me it was nothing,” Cloud countered, a glare hardening his features.

“Yes. I… I honestly have no good excuse other than not wanting you to run for the hills. I need someone here to help me, and with Scarlet gone I would be entirely on my own,” Sephiroth admitted and a swell of hot betrayal filled the blonde’s chest. 

“The cold spots?” Cloud asked pointedly and the silverette nodded.

“Yes. Cold spots, touching, glimpses of mist,” his boss explained.

“What about nightmares,” the blonde broached and Sephiroth seemed to cock his head somewhat curiously at the blonde, forehead tensing.

“I have not heard any reports of nightmares,” he said and Cloud’s brows furrowed, lips pursing in disbelief. But then, perhaps the nightmares were just his brain’s way of dealing with what he was experiencing. Even if… they didn’t outright seem related. After a second the heat started to dissipate into disappointment and the blonde looked away down the side, hands relaxing from his arms and settling into a gesture similar to Sephiroth’s. 

“So, you didn’t tell me because you didn’t want me to leave, huh?” he asked, diluted venom in his words and the silverette nodded.

“That and... because I’ve never experienced anything myself it’s still hard to truly believe. But Scarlet made similar claims, as did my last aid, and I can only explain away or brush off so many people. After Scarlet I decided that perhaps the claims had some merit. Yet, I have experienced nothing personally,” Sephiroth explained and Cloud felt himself deflate even more as bitter understanding overcame him.

“If you’d have told me I wouldn’t have believed you anyway. Still, you should tell people that sort of thing, even if they laugh at it,” the blonde muttered and his boss’ arms relaxed at his sides.

“You are right. You were my first hire since I came to my conclusion about the house, and I’m afraid I judged poorly,” Sephiroth said, “I am honestly surprised, no one has ever claimed to have had experiences right after moving in. It’s usually a couple months in before they experience anything,” Sephiroth informed, some ease coming back to his voice. “Will you go?” The question came with some returned tension that stabbed a painful jolt of guilt into the blonde’s heart and Cloud shook his head as he lifted his eyes to his boss’ obscured face.

“No. Now that I know, I think I can deal with it better knowing I’m not going nuts. Still really creeped out though, not sure I wanna sleep in my room tonight,” the blonde muttered, words falling quiet as the silverette’s body language relaxed and he stepped closer toward Cloud, who looked up, heart suddenly jumping in his chest as a light heat crept into his cheeks while the distance between them closed. 

“You must sleep though,” Sephiroth pressed and the blonde’s heart fluttered in his chest as he thought to take a step back, but remained in place, legs stiff as his boss closed in on him. He swallowed and stared, a thrill of excitement flaring through his chest. His arms dropped to his sides, and he stared, probably looking like an idiot. 

“I’m too worked up,” Cloud defended lamely, his voice sounding far away, unfocused, probably because he suddenly found his eyes having a hard time not looking at his boss’ lips. Shit. He was only in a towel, he was fucking naked, and he was going to humiliate himself. Sephiroth’s lips curved into a smile as he pressed closer and the blonde felt his brain come to a sudden stop. 

“Perhaps I can help you relax then,” the silverette offered and Cloud became almost dizzy, only realizing a moment later he’d held his breath.

“H-how?” he garbled. The curve of Sephiroth’s smile grew heady as he came so close his breath fanned Cloud’s face. Too close. They were too close. It was unusually close. Shit. What was happening? Was he getting hit on by his boss? One long finger pressed up beneath his chin, tilting the blonde’s head back further and the heat in Cloud’s face flared hotter as his heart pulsed faster in his chest.

“I think you know how, Cloud. I’ve not missed the subtlety of your looks or reactions to me,” Sephiroth informed, his voice a low, rumbling purr of intent. Cloud’s head swam as his cock stirred beneath his wet towel with a faster race of his heart. It felt like he was about to explode apart as the man’s other hand grabbed his left shoulder, long fingers curling around the soft muscle built up over the bone.

“I, I don’t know what I’m doing,” Cloud blurted thoughtlessly and his boss gave a sultry chuckle.

“Have you ever had sex, Cloud?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde shook his head. “Mmmm, I see. Well, the choice is yours. Though I will tell you, this will not affect our professional relationship, nor will it net you any special privileges other than our intimacy, hm?” the silverette informed. And though it almost dampened Cloud’s growing excitement, the curve of those lips and the feeling of his boss’ hand on his shoulder while the fingers of his left hand slid down the side of the blonde’s neck before wrapping around the juncture between neck and shoulder made the excitement rear up again. Sephiroth’s smile twitched then as he leaned forward, silvery threads of hair falling forward and brushing over Cloud’s skin inducing a shiver.

“If you stay with me the ghosts might just stay away since they don’t seem to like me,” his boss whispered slowly, sensually, and a shudder raced down the blonde’s spine, pooling heat in his crotch as a breathy groan rumbling up his throat while those long, elegant fingers stroked the side of Cloud’s neck before sliding down his arm before sliding from his elbow to press between his arm and side, palm sliding to the dip in the blonde’s back as his breath hitched, his dick jutting up hard, the wet towel barely hanging on him giving him away entirely. Cloud’s eyelids fluttered closed as those lips touched the shell of his ear, breath fanning the short sensitive hairs that sent sparks all through the blonde’s head and straight down to his balls while Sephiroth’s other hand slid down to the blonde’s chest and drew lazy circles with the tip of his index finger. 

“Well, Cloud? You have an answer for me?” the silverette asked and a soft, muffled moan was Cloud’s response as he nodded his head, feeling entirely too lax all of the sudden. A chuckle hit his ear and the blonde found his heart somersaulting in his chest when his cock gave a hard pulse right before that finger slid down the valleys of defined muscle in his abdomen to the edge of the towel.

“I need to hear you say it, puppet,” Sephiroth purred barely above a whisper and Cloud’s hands twitched, heat flushing hotter through his body as he adjusted his footing or risk falling over as his boss loomed over him, slowly enveloping him. Blue eyes cracked open, fogged in arousal before averting to the side as scarlet colored his cheeks. What was happening? Was he being seduced? Sephiroth didn’t need to try so hard, not when Cloud had been jerking off to the man in the bath before bedtime twice now. And then the blonde realized with surprise, that it was the first time someone he’d been interested in had been interested in him in return. _Reciprocal. Requited. Mutual._ Though gripped by virgin shyness Cloud turned his gaze up to look into the darkness of his boss’ sunglasses.

“Yeah, I want to, “ the blonde informed with certainty, desire seizing and taking control of every decision he made before he suddenly stumbled back from his proverbial tall stand and added, “if it’s not any trouble.” Sephiroth chuckled as his lips pressed to the shell of Cloud’s ear and his hand finally stopped teasing at the towel line and slid lower over the wet fabric and stroked his fingers over the warm, swollen organ hiding beneath, and a soft moan passed from full, shapely lips as the blonde’s hips twitched. The silverette’s lips left his ear then and Cloud found himself closing his eyes when his boss’ face leaned into his own, heart slamming hard and fast as he pulled his face forward and tilted his head back, expecting a kiss, which he received. 

The feeling of their mouths meeting was soft and warm, softer than he had expected as they pushed together before a confident tongue wet the crevice between his lips and the blonde grunted before he opened his mouth and immediately Sephiroth’s tongue plunged inside. Cloud’s hands jerked up and grabbed the strong, bare sides of his boss’ torso as he met the slimy muscle invading him, clumsy as he tried to figure out the best way to encounter it. He realized quickly how bad he probably was, and how much he was displaying in bright flashing lights exactly how inexperienced he was. Sephiroth’s hand on the small of his back pulled him closer, forcing the blonde to bend backward as the silverette leaned over him, tongue aggressive in overpowering Cloud’s own clumsy attempts to show some force until he relented and let his boss manipulate his tongue how he wanted. When their lips parted, Sephiroth was absolutely grinning, nearly smug as he stepped back, righted his employee on his feet and retracted his limbs. The blonde opened his eyes and gazed, dazed and slightly out of breath. 

“How about you drop the towel and lay in bed?” his boss suggested and Cloud glanced back into the room he’d never actually seen before. With an awkward nod he turned his back to the man as he walked over to the absolutely massive bed. It wasn’t a canopy like in his room, but the bed looked large enough to fit four people comfortably, double if people were willing to sleep on the end as well. There was a large door to his left, and from the low light spilling into the room he could glimpse what clearly must have been the bathroom. Along the wall to the right was a tall series of black out curtains, no doubt blocking windows. To his left past the bathroom door were built in wall shelves, designed specifically for exactly what was in them. Cloud stared, surprised for a moment as his heart almost stopped. Dolls. Dolls everywhere. Each shelf was fitted with vertical frames spaced evenly across, turning the shelves into cubbies where dolls sat. They were intricate, detailed, some looked like antiques, well cared for antiques, but certainly not anything that could have been hand made by someone other than a craftsman. Cloud felt the man’s presence behind just before his low voice vibrated into the air above him as hands settled onto his shoulders.

“Beautiful, aren’t they?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde twisted to look up at his boss as much as he could before fully turning, realizing with a burst of arousal that the silverette had dropped his pants. His brain stuttered for a moment, eyes taking in the impressive length and girth of his boss’ half-erect cock against an alabaster thigh and above it, a nest of silvery hairs that crawled in a thinning trail up to the silverette’s navel accented by rigid muscles. A chuckle caught his attention and Cloud jerked his face up toward the silverette, face flushing hot, burning even to the top of his head when Sephiroth lifted his left hand and cupped the blonde’s cheek.

“Distracted?” he asked, teasing in tone and Cloud pulled his bottom lip between his teeth, biting on it before one long, elegant thumb brushed over the folded over lip gently, as if fascinated before he spoke again. “You shouldn’t do that. You have lovely lips, puppet. You’re going to scar it biting like that,” Sephiroth admonished affectionately and the blonde immediately released the tortured piece of flesh before his boss dipped down and he gave his bottom lip specifically a kiss. “There, all better.” Cloud stared, eyes wide and heart about to burst from his chest as his cock throbbed in want. Everything throbbed, his very flesh tingled with eagerness to feel the man’s hands on him, touching him more. Cloud nodded, unable to see any reason why he should disagree as Sephiroth straightened before his hands went down to the blonde’s hips and fingers dipped into the towel, a smirk curving the man’s pale pink lips as he stared down.

“I guess I’ll have to be the one to undress the doll,” Sephroth teased as he pulled and the wet towel came apart easily, sinking down once free before the silverette let the water heavy material drop from his fingers with a wet thud. Cloud allowed his eyes to travel down from Sephiroth’s face to his broad, strong shoulders. He was incredibly pale, glacial, as his flesh almost reflected the low yellow light of the room as his hair fell down his back in a smooth silvery stream. It was as the blonde expected, a well built athletic frame that did not betray the slender narrow of his waist despite the muscle. Cloud looked back up and he realized he was being watched, and nervously rolled waved his toes on the rug beneath his feet before a hand touched his chest and pushed. The blonde allowed himself to sink onto the edge of the bed, staring up at the tall figure looking over him. 

“Is there any way you could take your sunglasses off?” Cloud asked, trying not to cup his hands over his swollen dick out of shyness. It wasn’t like he was unused to being nude around men thanks to locker rooms, but his erection was another story.

“It’d give me a headache and probably ruin our fun,” Sephiroth said as he stepped closer to Cloud, one knee lifting onto the mattress and pressing down. Realizing he probably shouldn’t just sit in place like an idiot, the blonde moved backward and turned until his head rest on one of the pillows lining the long width of the bed as the silverette crawled toward him, swollen cock hanging between his legs as he made his way over Cloud who did his best to relax. It was happening. It was actually happening. He was going to finally bid the virgin life goodbye. Maybe if things went well, maybe he’d even get a boyfriend. Though Sephiroth had been firm enough about the stipulations, they weren’t hard to abide by. Long streams of silvery hair slid over his boss’ shoulders and slid up Cloud’s body, inducing tickling shudders up his flesh until the man’s hands settled on the mattress above the blonde’s shoulders. A chuckle left the silverette’s lips.

“You’re stiff, puppet. Would you like my threads to help you move?” Sephiroth purred as he dipped his head down, hair pooling around their faces as their lips met. Even though the pet name was a little odd, and seemed out of place considering there was no reason for him to have such a pet name after their short relationship, Cloud pressed his lips back against the silverette’s. A hum of pleasure could be heard that the blonde felt himself enjoying far more than he maybe should have as he disregarded the pet name and slid his arms around his boss’ shoulders while Sephiroth’s body settled on top of his own, cock poking the blonde’s thigh. Their lips sealed and tongues slipped together, rubbing, curling, and sucking, breath puffing from their noses hard in growing excitement as their cocks throbbed against one another’s body. After a moment they broke lips and Sephiroth smirked at Cloud who gave an awkward, breathless smile.

“You’re beautiful, puppet. Like a doll, a beautiful doll meant to entice my eyes,” Sephiroth purred as he kissed the blonde’s chin before setting on a path of butterfly kisses down the blonde’s chest, hair sliding over Cloud’s flesh in teasing tickles. Cloud’s breath came faster with the race of his heart as excitement thrummed through his veins, cock throbbing harder when he realized just where those lips were going. His breath stuttered in with an excited beat of his heart before he suddenly tensed.

“Can we turn the light off,” Cloud blurted and his boss paused before he lifted his sunglass covered gaze to the blonde in his bed. A smarmy smile curved the man’s lips and he chuckled.

“My shy doll wanting to hide in the dark?” Sephiroth asked and Cloud pulled both his lips between his teeth, but did not bite as he nodded. With a laugh through the nose the silverette slid back up the blonde’s body as he stretched his long arm out and switched the light off, bathing them in inky darkness. “Well, I guess I don’t have to wear these now,” his boss said as the sound of glasses settling down on the bedside table filled the room before the man moved back over the bed. Cloud’s heart pumped hard in his chest, breath fast as Sephiroth’s hands grabbed his waist in the dark, long fingers curling around his sides before stroking down to his hips and a soft moan passed from the blonde’s still trapped lips. It was pitch black, he couldn’t see a damn thing, and somehow it just made him feel more excited to feel touch.

“My beautiful doll should perhaps open his mouth, hm?” Sephiroth chided softly and Cloud obeyed as the long lengths of the silverette’s hair brushed over his body again and lips pressed just over his right hip bone before a warm, wet tongue slid across his flesh. Tension wound through the blonde, the fire in his lower belly growing stronger as his balls swelled and his cock twitched, expectant of his boss’ mouth. And yet, when a wet organ found the head of his weeping cock a gasp of shock tore from his lips as his back jerked slightly on the bed. 

He hadn’t known exactly what to expect, but the soft wetness that slid against the slit of his cock, collecting the building fluid was like a bolt of lightning striking through his body and frying his brain. Pleasure spiked as Sephiroth’s hot breath surrounded the head of his dick before a warm hand wrapped around the base and the head plunged into something incredibly warm, soft, and wet. Pleasure unfurled hot through Cloud, making him want to thrust without thought as his breath panted from his open mouth before he felt lips seal over the knob of his cock with a suck and his head pulled back with a low moan as pleasure broiled hot through his lower belly and balls. 

“Oh, God,” Cloud garbled through a swallow as his boss’ mouth slid down, sucking inch by inch into his mouth and down his throat, treating the blonde to the feeling of hot, sucking heat as his sensitive dick slid against satiny wet flesh until he was swallowed down and a low, oozing moan passed from his lips. Cloud’s hands grabbed at the sheets beneath him as Sephiroth’s tongue brushed against the prominent, pulsing vein that ran along the underside of the blonde’s cock and a shuttering moan echoed from full lips as sweat misted Cloud’s skin. The silverette drew back up, sucking as his tongue brushed against the vein, drawing a sharp, prolonged moan from the bonde before his head was lapped against, stroked appreciatively and the blonde jerked, back arching as his cock twitched in threat of orgasm. His boss’ sucking lips slid back down, taking him to the base before sucking back up to the head and giving it extra love, each suck and stroke of tongue sent sharp sparks all through the blonde’s body and killing any coherent thought in his brain. His hips pushed upward, desperate for more before two strong hands pushed him to the mattress and Sephiroth sucked back down, swallowing Cloud down again before sucking back up, picking up his pace. The blonde tensed, fingers digging into the sheets and he rode the wave of pleasure sliding up and down his cock as orgasm twisted tighter, hotter inside him, his cock twitching with the threat of ejaculation. 

“Se-Sephiroth, I’m gonna cum!” Cloud gasped out, a low moan breaking free from his panting lips as his toes curled while wanting to fight the hands holding his pelvis down as his boss continued to lick and suck at him, growing almost aggressive in his efforts to push the blonde off the edge and one particularly hard licking suck against the flushed head of his cock snapped the thin thread holding the blonde back and a loud moan broke from his mouth as he tensed, feet digging into the sheets as orgasm tore free, cum shooting from his twitching cock and into the mouth that swallowed him back down. Cloud sagged after the tension bled from him, dick softening in his lover’s mouth before it slipped from wet lips. Breath panted hard from the blonde, body sweaty against the sheets as the mattress moved, hair sliding up his body again in another teasing caress before he heard the sound of a drawer in the bedside table opening to his right. 

“We are not done just yet, doll. You will need to let me have my own release,” Sephiroth said softly with affection and Cloud nodded though he knew he could not be seen. The hands returned, sliding down his body, exploring him eagerly as they made their way down to his legs and his thighs were grabbed. His heart pumped harder again, excitement rearing up despite his recent release as his ankles were hooked over powerful shoulders. A moment later he felt wet fingers brush against his sphincter and he flinched against the sensation before relaxing, which earned him a pleased hum as a single digit teased the muscles of his hole before easing its way in. 

Cloud released a breath and let his body relax, allowing the finger to push in deeper, feeling around his insides in a way that was only somewhat unfamiliar from his attempts to discover the sweet spot he’d heard about. Alas, Cloud had never been that successful in finding it and wondered if it really worked with him. But as the finger plunged deeper, rubbing upward a strong warmth filled balls before a bolt of pleasure shot up through his rapidly swelling cock and he gasped, the fire in his lower belly suddenly alight again when he felt another strong shock of pleasure and moaned unabashed as his balls and cock swelled. Okay, he just couldn’t ever find it himself. 

“That’s good, doll,” Sephiroth purred as another finger nudged itself against the ring of muscles and Cloud tensed slightly, having to make himself relax again. Taking in a breath and that slowly passed from the blonde’s lips, the silverette pushed his second finger in deeper, stretching Cloud’s muscles before carefully scissoring him. Before long a third joined and the blonde had to work to keep himself from tensing as he was pulled open wider, his entrance being exercised by insistent and patient fingers until they withdrew. The hands were gone for only a moment before his thighs were grabbed and again he found his legs being bent over toward his chest as Sephiroth leaned over him. 

“My beautiful doll. Let me make you feel good,” Sephiroth said right before Cloud felt something large, wet, and warm at his sphincter and his breath caught a moment. “Take a deep breath, and release as I push in,” the silverette ordered in a voice strained with lust and the blonde did as ordered. As soon as the pressure against his muscles began he released the breath, slow and measured, trying to keep in time with the intrusion as he did his best to stay relaxed, though he did not miss the low groan of pleasure that escaped his boss as his cock slid inside, spreading him even wider than the fingers that had been in him. The sensation of flowering open and being filled with something hot and hard had gone smoother than the blonde had expected, though the brush against his prostate had caused him to tense in a gasp for a moment when a hard twitch hit his dick, which drew a chuckle from the silverette. Gathering himself and trying to ignore the ache in his cock trapped beneath his thighs Cloud grabbed the sheets into tight fists as Sephiroth sank into until he could feel the man’s hips against his ass. Another low moan passed from the silverette’s lips above him before hands left the blonde’s thighs and settled onto the bedding above his shoulders.

“You’re so tight, doll,” Sephiroth panted and a low groan oozed from the blonde’s lips, his cock giving a hard pulse of arousal from such words. “I’m going to move now, stay relaxed.” And Cloud did his best, taking in a deep breath and relaxing as the thick, slick length of his boss’ cock slid backward, brushing his prostate and sending delicious little shudders of pleasure through his body, turning his spine to pliant wax as pleasure sparked hotter inside him. When only the head of his dick remained, Sephiroth's hips snapped forward, driving himself back inside the blonde who let a near shout of pleasure pass his lips as a breathy moan spilled from his boss’ lips. Cloud’s knees twitched against his chest, legs trapped against his body as Sephiroth’s hips slid back and forward, fucking himself into the blonde carefully, as if testing the waters. Cloud gasped, pleasure striking hotter with each forward and backward slide as the silverette thrust his cock back and forth faster, breath panting from his lips and hitting the blonde’s face as they rocked on the mattress. 

Cloud’s hands tightened their hold on the sheets, his dick absolutely aching and drooling with need from where it rest, trapped between his thighs as Sephiroth punched his hips faster, hard breathy groans panting from his lips in competition with the blonde beneath him as his pace quickened, bouncing Cloud on the bedding. Back twitching and muscles tightening, coupled with the maddening demand for friction the blonde slid one hand down his body and between his legs as he grabbed his cock and stroked himself in time with each friction delicious rub of his boss’ dick thrusting back and forth inside him. Panted moans broke louder from Sephiroth as the blonde gasped out moans into the still air, orgasm rapidly builder higher and tighter as they rocked harder with the increased ferocity of Sephiroth’s thrusting cock.

“S-Sephiroth!” Cloud gasped, the sound wet and tense with building pleasure as his cock leaked over his fist, aiding the speed and ease his hand moved as a low, throaty groan rumbled from somewhere deep in the silverette as his hips jerked faster, rubbing mindlessly, striking rapid fire pleasure that increased until the waves were a continuous raging flood. Cloud tensed, toes curled, muscles tightened as his hand stilled, a gasped moan breaking apart in his throat as he stilled, orgasm snapping free as cum spurted from his cock and over his fist and chest. 

A growling sound emanated from above him as Sepghiroth’s rapid fire thrusts grew desperate, messy until he crushed his hips against the blonde, burying himself as deep as he could until a loud, tight moan struggled from the man in the darkness as orgasm seized every muscle fiber. Cloud relaxed, spent, limp and covered in sweat as he waited, heart thrumming in the afterglow and in pride of hearing such pleasure from his gorgeous boss before Sephiroth relaxed, soft cock slipping free from the blonde’s body. He pulled away, Cloud’s legs falling to the mattress bonelessly before an audible thump shook the mattress to the blonde’s right, telling him the silverette had dropped to his side. Their breath echoed into the room, evening out over long, wonderful moments before finally, Sephiroth spoke.

“We have a few hours, you can sleep here until time to get up,” his boss said and Cloud frowned as he gazed around the room. He couldn’t see anything in the dark, not even a clock, though the silverette may not have had a digital one. 

“That okay?” he asked and a hand settled on his stomach, long fingers splayed against his skin. 

“Yes, besides, cuddling after sex is always nice,” Sephiroth said and the blonde’s heart fluttered as a far too pleased smile curved his lips in the dark. 

“Okay then,” Cloud said and the silverette grunted as he moved on the mattress while the blonde rolled onto his side and his boss pressed against his back, longer body curled around him. With a contented sigh and not caring for the need of a blanket Cloud let his eyes grow heavy before an unbidden and unwelcome thought came to his mind. 

“Shit, I think I left the bathroom light on,” he groaned as he pushed his face into his pillow. Heaving a disgruntled sigh he started to raise up before he was pulled down by one long limb.

“Stay, I’ll do it,” Sephiroth said.

“But, it’s bright,” the blonde interjected.

“I can handle it. Approaching a bright light that I can turn off is easier than being unexpectedly flashed by one,” the silverette said, a soft sound of amusement in his voice and Cloud groaned. “I just have to close my eyes,” he declared, the humor clear in his voice.

“I can handle a bathroom light. And it’s not that much brighter than the rest of the house,” Sephiroth said as he slid from behind the blonde and off the bed. “You just relax. You’ve had a trying night.” A small laugh caught in Cloud’s chest at the words as his lips quirked into a smile. Yeah, trying all right, in more ways than one. Once Sephiroth was gone the blonde found himself wanting the blanket and turned the light on to search for it, and found it kicked down the bed a bit, probably because Sephiroth had been in them before he’d bothered the man. Pulling the covers up he switched the light off and curled up, waiting for when his boss would return. It was going to be weird now, at least until he got used to their new relationship. They’d barely been feeling each other out professionally before getting into bed. It was a little embarrassing actually, he sure hoped Sephiroth didn’t think he was just some easy guy. Though, he had been a virgin until what they just did. 

Cloud lay still, finding himself pulling the covers higher as his mind started to bring up thoughts he really didn’t want it to. Like the fact that he was alone again. He needed to relax; take a breath. It was fine. He found himself stilling when he thought he heard something, and once again the heat of tension filled his muscles as his heart rate increased. Come on, it was stupid. The slow whine of a door made his heart jump sharply in his chest and he tensed further, teeth grit. There was another long squeak before he heard a soft click.

“Sephiroth?” he called, voice tight and uncertain. He wasn’t about to get fucking jump scared like in a movie, was he?

“Yes?” Sephiroth questioned and the tension and anxiety snapped free with a loud, relieved sigh as Cloud sagged on the bed. Fucking hell. “Something happen while I was gone?”

“No, I just worked myself up over nothing,” Cloud muttered, bitter. A soft chuckled was heard from the silverette before the bed started shaking until a heavy body reached behind the blonde.

“Oh, you got in the covers, may I?” his boss asked and Cloud sat up and pushed the covers toward the sound of his boss’ voice before they were taken in his hand and the man shuffled in before the two laid down and the blanket was tossed over the blonde.

“There, all better,” Sephiroth muttered as Cloud rolled over and was immediately pulled into the silverette’s embrace as his larger body curled around him. 

“Nothing will harm you, doll,” his boss murmured above his head as a hand pet his hair and the blonde frowned. He was going to have to get used to that pet name, wasn’t he? Why doll? He did get called pretty by Sephiroth. A warmth filled his cheeks and his heart fluttered. His boss seemed to really like pretty things, and dolls. So it actually made sense when he thought about it. Still weird, but lots of people had weird kinks and quirks. Relaxing, he allowed the petting of his blonde spikes to lull him until his eyelids grew heavy and dripped closed.

Cloud woke to a hard pull, a painful, sharp stab of pain in his scalp. A gasp tore from his throat as he nearly jumped forward onto the floor. Instead he jerked upright onto the mattress, which caused him to stumble back on unsteady feet until he nearly fell off the other side before managing to land hard on his feet and stumble back against the wall where the dolls sat. Wide eyes darted around the room, lit in the low light of the lamp as he tried to find whatever the fuck he’d felt. He lifted his hand and touched the area of his skull where it still throbbed, heart slamming viciously in his chest as shuttering breaths passed his lips while a frighteningly cold chill wrapped around his naked body. Wrapping his arms around himself his brows drew up in distress as he tried once again to locate something, anything, but nothing greeted him other than the black curtains that weaved in a breeze.

Cloud’s brain stuttered a second. Weaved? Moved? He doubted the windows were open. His heart clenched so painfully tight he couldn’t breathe before he turned and bolted for the door and grabbed the handle. This was fucking insane! First thing in the morning! Just what did this fucking house have against him?! A loud thud from behind him startled a yelp from Cloud and he jerked his eyes over his shoulder before pulling the handle for the bedroom door down. It stopped short, locked. Anxiety shot through the blonde as he pulled again, harder, but it stopped short. Spotting the lock as another thud hit the air behind him, he twisted it and still nothing. His breath wheezed deep and fast from his lips in white puffs as the cold clung to his body and he shuddered while another thud shot a painful stab of anxiety through his heart. Stop. Stop. Stop! The thudding came faster, slamming against one of the walls in the room as moisture built up in Cloud’s eyes. Fuck!

“Just stop it!” he shouted, but the thudding continued. Plastering his back to the door he stared, eyes wide at the back wall to the right of the bed where the wall bulged in a rounded shape, just as he’d noticed before in the billiard room below.

“Stop it!” Cloud shouted, adrenaline fueling him and channelling in anger to combat his fear. “You’re not scaring me away!” 

“Cloud!” the sound of Sephiroth’s voice muffled through the door and the blonde gasped as he spun around, shivering as his more white colored breath panted past his lips. And then, as the cold rapidly eased away along with a sudden halt to the thuds, the door handle pulled down from the other side before it swung open to reveal his boss in his sunglasses and full dress. Cloud drew in a stuttered breath, eyes still wide and wet as he jerked his gaze back into the bedroom while still fighting off the last of the shivers even as warmth rapidly settled on his skin.

“What happened?” the silverette asked. 

“I… something pulled my hair. And then it got cold, the door was locked, and there was pounding in the walls or something,” Cloud explained, voice quavering but at least he managed to level his tone as he wrapped himself in his arms and stepped through the doorway while his boss watched him.

“I’m sorry, Cloud,” Sephiroth muttered as he shrugged out of his evening suit jacket and draped it over the blonde’s shoulders. After a moment Cloud heaved a sigh and finally managed to regain control of his body.

“It’s fine. It’s going to happen I guess because this house hates me,” the blonde muttered before a thought occurred to him and he laughed, perhaps sounding a tad manic. “Well, maybe it’s more accurate to say the house really loves you and hates everyone else,” he said when it occurred to him that Sephiroth was the only one not bothered by the spirits or whatever the hell was in the house with them. An arm wrapped around Cloud’s shoulders as his boss stepped up to his side and looked down at him. 

“I would say if the house loved me, it’d leave my hired help and lovers alone,” the silverette said, and a wry smirk curved the blonde’s lips in his attempt to continue playing the experience off. 

“Or maybe it’s just a really selfish, jealousy driven prick,” Cloud offered and a smile finally curved Sephiroth’s lips, helping to further ease the blonde’s lingering tension. 

“You might be right,” his boss agreed. “Well, how about I walk you to your room so you can get dressed, and we can go down for breakfast together,” he suggested and after a brief second the blonde nodded. Yeah. They needed to brush this off. To work this out like it wasn’t a big deal. If he could get himself to brush it off, maybe he’d get used to it and be able to handle it better. And if he handled it better, maybe the house would learn to deal with him. Or maybe he was attributing too many human qualities to it. Either way, it was best to let it go and get on with his day in as normal of a fashion as he could, if not for anything, for his own sanity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut. Smut. Smut. Smut. Oral Sex. Anal Sex. Anal Fingering. Uh... did I say smut? And some rather violent supernatural morning after events.


	7. Encounter 7: The Doll Maker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud finally starts to perform his job duties. But something unexpected turns everything on its head, destroying his burgeoning new life with Sephiroth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I hope you are all doing well! I have some unfortunate news about this fic, which is, thanks to my progress being slowed so considerably, it will not be done by Halloween. DX But, I will continue this until completion. So, thank you so much to everyone who has been reading and enjoying the story so far! I hope you enjoy this new chapter too! This one was a bit on the difficult side to get down the way I wanted. Hopefully it's all right.
> 
> Playlist/soundtrack
> 
> In This Moment: [In The Air Tonight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZS2O4dXFXE)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Blood Pulse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onHdoaxTdPw)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Warped Mind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkurXmkUFTg)  
> Ayako Toyoda: [ Another Hallway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trkYXmTvlro&list=PLD0B2C600CB0FEF64&index=4)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Only a Nightmare ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEWLDJc2YDE)  
> Mikko Tarmia: [ Darkness](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8jFc2Wmfcs)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Prisonic Fairytale ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk-3uAkcPXQ)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Wail of Warning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrWsWNOOfuQ)  
> Marilyn Manson: [ Born Villain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06LXBa-MbH0)  
> The Birthday Massacre: [ Surrender](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB0UzaGbUUY)  
>  **Warnings for the chapter are posted at the end; if you want them click or scroll to the bottom of the chapter. Otherwise, feel free to read on!**

After gathering up some clothes and getting dressed with his boss’ watchful eyes on him, which was somewhat embarrassing, the two walked down for breakfast at six twenty. Cloud set the table and the two ate in relative calm, chatting about the chores the blonde was to take up with a reminder about the electrician. After that Cloud went back to his room, grabbed his shave kit from his bathroom supplies and cleaned his face. Once finished he returned, grabbed his chore list, and propped the broom closet door open with a tool box once again while he grabbed the vacuum cleaner from the corner where the broom had been. From there he set about vacuuming the rugs in the hall, and though he hesitated to go in, he made his way into the master bedroom and vacuumed before changing the bedding and redressing the bed. 

After vacuuming the drapes he set out and cleaned across the gallery rugs, checked on Scarlet’s old room which was oddly locked. After checking to see if he had a key he found he had none, and remembering what he’d been told about locked rooms stepped away with a furrow to his brow. It was… odd. Deciding to ignore it he went about vacuuming the rest of the rooms upstairs before going down the stairs into the foyer and set about the far more monumental task of vacuuming the rugs on the main floor. He was about to enter the guest room when the alarm he’d set on his phone went off and stopped. Unplugging the vacuum he wrapped up the cord and set the tall vacuum against the wall before deciding to grab the bag chamber and take it with him to empty out in the kitchen trash while on his way to wait for the electrician. 

After finishing Cloud sat in the sitting area and waited for the electrician to come. By ten twenty he got bored and went back to quickly snap the bag compartment back onto the vacuum, returned, and peeked carefully out the window behind the curtain to see if anyone had shown up. But the courtyard was empty and sighed as he walked back and plopped onto one of the couches in the sitting area by the window. He’d been playing solitaire on his phone and debating on getting his book when there was a knock on the front door and glanced at the time. Nearly eleven. Of course. With a sigh he stood up and walked to the door with a glance at the study to see its room aglow with low light and with a nod opened the heavy right side of the door carefully. A tall man with brown hair looked at him and smiled.

“ShinRa Electric Solutions,” the man greeted and the blonde nodded.

“Yeah,” the blonde said as he allowed the man inside through a large enough crack. “We have a very specific light rule in the house, though you really need to only observe it downstairs,” Cloud informed the man as he turned and wiped his hands on his blue jumpsuit with the ShinRa electric logo on his chest.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. No flashlights or any bright lights of any kind. Do not open any of the blindes either. The house must be kept under low light. Though you are free to use any flashlights or other lighting you want upstairs where our problem is, and where the utilities room is located,” Cloud explained, voice steady and firm as the man stared, confused as he nodded.

“Sure,” he said. “You the owner of the house?” The blonde shook his head. 

“No, that’s Sephiroth. He’s in his study,” Cloud informed as he took the lead and led the man to the left and the two stopped at the threshold to the study where the silverette looked up.

“Greetings,” his boss said with a pleasant smile.

“Hey. So, you had a lightbulb burst, right? I’m here to check it out,” the man informed and the silveretet nodded.

“Yes, that’s right. Cloud will take you,” Sephiroth informed and the electrician nodded.

“Alright, let me get my tools and we can go up,” the man said before leaving the two. Cloud slid his eyes back to his boss who gave him a more intimate smile now that they were alone.

“You don’t need to be so tense, Cloud,” the silverette teased and the blonde felt his cheeks warm a little as his heart fluttered and he turned his face away before he decided to not dignify a response to the prod. The electrician returned a few minutes later and after the blonde showed the man to the broom closet and told him the utilities room was across the gallery, went back down to finish his vacuuming. Despite the insane scare that morning in what he guessed he could name as a physical attack, things had been quiet. Though the thick shadows still slid along the walls and filled every corner of the mansion, making even turning in the halls somewhat uncomfortable, things had been calmer, easier to breathe. Maybe yelling at the house had actually netted him some good after all. Even if in hindsight it was kind of embarrassing.

When Cloud returned to the hall outside the guest room he stopped and frowned upon noticing that the vacuum was gone. Seriously? Wasn’t this just cliche and childish? Swiveling his gaze around he noticed with a sudden heart drop into his stomach that the vacuum was parked in front of the ballroom doors. Taking a break and angrily walking over he grabbed the neck of the device and pushed it back toward the guest bedroom door.

“You’re not going to fuck with me again today. You used up all your scare allowance this morning when you pulled my hair. Which was really mature by the way,” Cloud growled as he opened the guest bedroom door. It was pitch black, filled to the brim with thick, heavy shadows as he slid his hand to the left of the door, tension winding up again in fear of an experience like the servants stairway. He found the switch after a few anxiety building seconds and flipped it on, revealing another surprisingly bright light. Probably out of consideration for others like the bathroom by his bedroom. In front of him atop a light, very large, fanciful world rug was a sitting room with white, flower patterned couches and loveseats with a recliner centered around a polished cherry wood table. There was a bookcase to the wall on his right and a desk against the far wall on his left. It was actually probably the most positive feeling room in the entire house. 

Stepping inside he parked the vacuum by the door inside and turned to the back left side of the room where a set of double doors sat. Walking over he pulled them open and came face to face with shadows again. Turning his phone light on he turned it around the room briefly before feeling for and quickly finding the lightswitch. Once the light flashed on a large canopy bed much larger than his own, though nowhere near as large as Sephiroth’s own, was revealed with its headboard to the wall on his right. A trunk sat at the foot of the bed, a dresser just like his own against the wall across from him. To the left wall was a full vanity, and stepping in rewarded him with a chifferobe on the wall to his right where the door was located. 

A large entryway caught his eye across the room which he walked over to and flipped the light on, finding a large en suite bathroom. The shower and bath were separated, and both were large with a his and hers sink and toilets, apparently. Though it was far too spacious for a single person, he couldn’t help feeling a little envious of the room comparing it to his own little compartment. But, small spaces had always suited Cloud better anyway. With a shrug he flipped the light off and went back to vacuum. 

Finally finished with his vacuuming he returned to the broom closet where the electrician was up on a foldable ladder looking at the hanging fixture, a bright flashlight in between his teeth as he stared hard at what he was holding with his hands wrapped in two thick rubber gloves. 

“Hey, how’s it going?” Cloud asked as he put the vacuum away and grabbed the duster that hung from one of the hooks on the wall above the largest workbench.

“Fine. The wiring actually seems good, despite what clearly must have been an electrical surge. I think I’ll take a look at the utilities room,” the man said with a sigh as he carefully climbed down the ladder and dropped his flashlight from his mouth before turning it off. The blonde nodded.

“I could guide you before I set about my work,” Cloud said and the man smiled at him as he wiped the long sleeve of his jumpsuit across his forehead. 

“Yeah, that’d be great. Thanks,” he said and the blonde nodded. With that he led the way to the utilities room and left the man to his work before going back and starting what was going to be the most tedious chore so far, and wondered how he could finish it all in one day. In the end Cloud decided to extend the dusters for the tall corners of walls and over surfaces and paintings, and was surprised when he realized that there wasn’t really all that many surfaces to dust, and within an hour he was finished with everywhere he could get into minus the areas of the house he was told clean less often. Only when he grabbed the broom did he realize he probably should have swept around the rugs before vacuuming and sighed before continuing on with his chores. By the time he was returning the broom and dustpan the electrician was back in the broom closet with a new bulb that lit up the space and dispelled the shadows.

“You fixed it, huh?” Cloud said as he walked in and put the broom away and the man nodded.

“Yup. Used one of your bulbs I found in that cupboard since I didn’t have anything dim enough in my stuff,” the man informed and the blonde nodded. 

“What caused the issue?” Cloud asked, though he knew most likely what the ultimate cause was now. 

“There was a problem with one of the breakers. It was fried for some reason, but after testing the power outputs I found nothing amiss. There was a power outage after a surge yesterday in town, a quarter of the city was knocked down due to a dump truck smashing into a telephone pole. A lot of people had surges and there’s a lot of claims going out to the city about damaged property. I didn’t think it’d have gotten all the way up here to you, but that’s the only thing I can think of. Lucky you it was only one bulb,” the man said as he walked over to the closest corner of the workbench beneath the wall of hung tools and packed it up.

“Either way, everything tests as it should, stable and safe after I changed the breaker part. So you should be good. If anything else happens, give us a call and we’ll come back immediately,” the man said as he grabbed his tool box and the two gave formal smiles before Cloud walked the man to the foyer before dropping him off at Sephiroth’s office. From there he cleaned the kitchen counters and dining table, as well the counters in the keeping room, stomach growling loud in hunger when he heard the front door close with the leaving of the electrician.

“You must be starving,” Sephiroth’s voice cut into the air of the keeping room, startling a small gasp from the blonde before he turned his eyes over his shoulder and mildly glaring at the man, which drew a chuckle from the silverette. 

“I am,” the blonde muttered. With a nod his boss turned with a smile tossed over his shoulder and Cloud followed after him out.

“A chicken sandwich sound good?” Sephiroth asked as they headed into the kitchen.

“Anything as long as it’s edible,” the blonde muttered and the silverette laughed softly.

“Alright then, a chicken sandwich. Set the table please, the chicken won’t take long to cook.” And so Cloud did as he was asked after putting his cleaning supplies away.

“What’s the history of this house?” Cloud asked after swallowing his bite of sandwich before taking his glass of water and looking at his boss. The man at the head of the table hummed.

“I’m afraid not a lot is known. Dougless Heffernan was a very reclusive man. He originally built and lived in what is now the guest house minus the second floor with his wife and two children. After discovering a dinosaur bone buried on the property he sold it to a collector for quite a hefty sum. About 50,000 gil, which today would be over a million. He started building the mansion and moved in while it was still being built. The billiard room actually used to be the master bedroom before it was converted a few generations later. His wife died shortly after the mansion’s completion, followed by one of his sons. His daughter went on and married a wealthy man who was heavily involved in the burgeoning mako field. They added onto the house themselves. The children that died were their grandchildren, though the only boy who had been sick in bed that day grew up and had children with a French woman he married, the history of the house is really just a record of births and deaths,” Sephiroth declared and the blonde frowned. 

“Were there ever stories about ghosts on the property before recently?” he asked.

“The sound of children running. After Scarlet told me her stories I looked into it and found that there is a common story from guests and servants about hearing children in the house,” his boss informed, and Cloud felt his heart pump unnaturally. 

“Like shattering glass and running feet? That’s what I heard the night I moved in,” the blonde informed. Sephiroth hummed in thought.

“I’ve heard people telling me of running on the gallery, but that’s it. It’s interesting that you heard glass shattering. Which I do remember you telling me. I honestly didn’t think to put them together. That’s very interesting,” his boss muttered.

“Maybe it’s like that theory where it’s an imprint, like, a recorded memory in an object. I don’t remember what that’s called. But the memory just plays endlessly. It has no real intelligence, cuz it’s not really a ghost, or spirit, just trapped energy repeating itself endlessly,” Cloud said softly before deciding to take another bite of his sandwich.

“Perhaps. I honestly did not find a tremendous amount of haunting information on the manor. But, in general there isn’t much to find about this property other than the bland information I just told you,” the silverette informed and the blonde’s brows furrowed. 

“Okay then,” Cloud muttered before falling silent and then he suddenly remembered something. “What about the doll? The head keeps moving? Did you make it or something? It looks like me.”

“Oh, yes, I did,” Sephiroth informed and the blonde felt his cheeks warm. “I like to do that as a housewarming gift. I know not everyone shares the same affection as me for dolls, though plenty do. Doll making is most definitely my most ardent hobby,” his boss informed and a flutter filled Cloud’s chest, though also a tinge of guilt for how off put he was by the doll from the start. But, it wasn’t his fault the creepy thing kept moving its head! 

“I’m sorry my little doll is scaring you. I can’t imagine why anything would mess with it, it’s harmless,” Sephiroth stated. 

“Cuz the house wants to scare me out,” Cloud declared, a bitter tone to his voice before he felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up from his sandwich to his boss who smiled warmly at him from behind his sunglasses.

“You are a brave and stubborn man, Cloud,” Sephiroth stated and the blonde felt his heart flutter more. Damn. He didn’t have to lay it on so thick. He’d already gotten the blonde into his bed. With an awkward nod Cloud focused on his sandwich as the hand left his shoulder with an accompanying chuckle, which only made him more embarrassed.

After lunch Cloud showered finally, shaved, and changed his clothes, awkward to have gone so long dirty after the pre-dawn activities he’d been involved in. From there he finished his chores and ate a pleasant dinner and after dinner, though he was reluctant to do it, put the doll back on his chest of drawers. He’d get used to it, now that he knew to expect the head to turn. It was only after he’d settled down to relax and read in bed did a knock to his door get his attention.

“Come in!” he called as he put the book down and started to rise, half of him ready for nothing to happen or an empty doorway to be revealed. When the barrier swung open Sephiroth stood and smiled at him.

“Good evening. May I join you for the night?” the silverette asked and Cloud froze, his entire face rapidly growing hot as his heart pulsed hard in his chest. Awkward he averted his eyes as his lips parted.

“Sure,” he muttered and a soft chuckle was his reward as his boss stepped in and closed the door behind him. Standing up he met the man halfway to the bed, shy, but excited nonetheless as he allowed Sephiroth to pull him into an embrace and kiss his lips. After a passionate battle of tongues the blonde found himself walked backward, a hand on his back to steady him as they made their way to his bed and he was pushed onto his back. His boss smiled at him and he returned the curve of lips as they shed their clothes, Sephiroth tossing his onto the ottoman while Cloud let his own fall to the floor by the bed before switching off the light. Basked in darkness and naked in bed their lips sealed as tongues rubbed aggressively together while the silverette took up position between the blonde’s legs. After pulling Cloud’s legs over his shoulders and using the lube he had produced from his pants pocket, Sephiroth’s fingers found the blonde’s sphincter and slid inside one by one, stretching and scissoring him until his muscles were loose and his body relaxed while using his mouth to suck on his lover’s rigid dick. Cloud groaned, panted, and twisted in the sheets, ready to feel that special spot stimulated and growing impatient. And Sephiroth did not hesitate to give what was wanted as he slid his swollen cock inside and the blonde moaned appreciatively even as his body struggled to fully stretch around the large girth of his lover’s dick. 

Cloud was bent in half, knees to his chest as his boss settled onto his hands and proceeded to fuck him into the mattress, mild and soft at first, but rapidly grew in speed and power as he rubbed himself back and forth inside the blonde who moaned unabashedly loud in pleasure each time his prostate was rubbed against, which was a constant. Hard breaths broke into the air, mingling with the low, guttural moans of pleasure the two made as they rocked harder and harder into the mattress. It didn’t take long after Cloud grabbed his dick and pumped his fist in time with Sephiroth’s thrusts, his moans growing wetter and more desperate as orgasm twisted and boiled hotter through his lower belly and balls. Perhaps encouraged the silverette thrust faster, moans accentuated by his pleasured, breathy grunts and Cloud tensed, a sharp gasp sucking into his mouth before it broke free in a gasped cry as cum spurted from his cock and over his heaving, sweaty chest. Sephiroth’s thrusts grew erratic and hard, his face tensed in growing pleasure as climax neared and within a few hard thrusts that jerked the blonde on the bedspread his lover tensed over him, beautiful muscles trembling as his dick pushed as deep inside his lover he could before letting orgasm wash over him with a low, undulating moan. After the tension eased in his body, Sephiroth eased himself onto his back by Cloud’s side and the two lay still, breaths evening out over a short period until they were calm and the sweat on their bodies dried.

“How is my precious doll tonight, hm?” Sephiroth asked, the first word spoken after their initial start of the quick, but satisfying fuck as he rolled onto his side and cuddled up to the blonde who rolled over and allowed himself to be spooned.

“Okay. Had some funny business with the vacuum today, though it was kinda cute I guess,” Cloud muttered and a soft chuckle tickled his ear before it was kissed, inducing a flourish of butterflies in the blonde’s stomach and chest, which brought an uncontrollable smile to his lips that he was glad couldn’t be seen.

“I’m glad my doll had a good day. Let’s rest well for the night and perhaps we can have ourselves some pleasurable exercise in the morning,” Sephiroth suggested with a sultry hum to his voice and Cloud felt his cheeks warm as his heart fluttered again. Damn. It almost didn’t seem real. It happened so fast. But it was; almost like a dream come true. Never in his wildest dreams did Cloud actually believe he’d have such a hot, sexy boyfriend. Pulling up the blanket over them the blonde settled in as arms wrapped around him and relaxed, trying to not think too much about what Sephiroth’s suggestion meant, which would make sleeping difficult to attain. Though if he did get hard again the silverette would probably indulge him, and he could return the favor with exuberance. With a content sigh he closed his eyes and finally let his mind drift away with random thoughts about the decided topic of chores.

The low sound of a familiar hum roused Cloud, and though it was with struggle, he was able to crack his eyes open. His head was lulled to his right side, and he was greeted with a familiar haze of low light flickering over his naked body on whatever surface he was on. His eyes slid down the surface of the table, ears picking up the sound of feet thumping over stone as he spied the large tube again, pushed into his arm. There was no red this time, but he could feel something cold pumping into his arm, feeding into his vein. A pained groaned muffled from his jaw as his chest puffed weakly and the looming shadow figure stopped moving again and stooped over him. He stared up at it, at the black hole that was its face as a veil fell forward around him when the figure bent over. They stared for a long moment until the flickering light suddenly gave a violent flare and cast some faint light that caught just on the nose of the face before dimming. Cloud stared, pupils widening as he tried to make out some sort of feature. The face pulled away and stepped back before turning its back to him and walking out of his line of sight. After a moment the feet moved again until he heard them above his head and could do nothing as something was draped over his eyes, bathing him in darkness. He tried to see if somehow he could move, but he was numb all over, too heavy to move anything. Unable to see or move, he drifted deeper into the darkness.

Cloud woke trapped in a pair of strong arms. Even breath disturbed disturbed his hair as he sat, clammy, cold, and outright sweaty. He twitched and a strong wave of nausea filled his stomach. He groaned as he attempted to roll off of his back before a loud shatter of glass tore a gasp from his throat and the body pinning him made a confused grunt. The rolling in his stomach made his mouth water and the blonde panted, suddenly needing desperately to get up as the sound of feet running came from the otherside of his closed door. Fuck! He couldn’t move, his body felt like it was made of lead and his stomach gave sharp stabs of warning and his eyes grew hot as a wave of heat rushed through him when his stomach jolted again.

“Seph!” Cloud rasped, unable to produce his boss’ full name, voice rough and he felt his gag reflex kick in. He jerked over with a violent lurch toward the edge of the bed beneath his burden, groaning when the arms around him finally started to move.

“Cloud?” the silverette questioned as the blonde was finally released from his arms. Cloud scrambled forward, desperate as he reached blindly for the trash bin and stuck his head over it right before the intense watery heat in his mouth accompanied a powerful jolt in his stomach as every muscle worked in reverse and he vomited into the trash. The bed moved and a hand settled onto his back, rubbing into his chilled, clammy skin. After emptying out what remained of dinner Cloud sagged, wheezing as the bed shuddered again and the sound of feet softly padding across carpet hit his ears. The sound of glasses being lifted from the bedside table by the blonde was followed by the light being switched on as the silverette, still naked, knelt down, frowning as he ran his hands through spiked blonde locks while he looked at Cloud from behind his shades.

“Perhaps dinner didn’t sit well with you,” Sephiroth offered and the blonde’s face pinched in discomfort when his stomach rolled in threat again. After a moment he released a pant and groaned again.

“Everything seemed fine,” Cloud croaked. The silverette stood then and walked over to the ottoman by the door where he’d tossed his clothes and pulled his pants on without his underwear.

“I’ll bring you some water and a new trash bag,” his boss said as he grabbed his cane and disappeared out the door. Cloud glanced up and groaned as he struggled to lift his hand up and slapped it down on his charging phone. Not having it in him to unplug it he let his arm rest uncomfortable against the edge of the table and turned the screen on. It read twelve fourteen and he groaned. He was pretty sure it’d been midnight the first time he’d heard that same glass shattering and running. He let his phone drop before pulling his quivering arm back to his chest, grimacing as he fought to try and not throw up again. His nose still fucking burned and it smelled awful, making him wish he had a tissue to blow his nose. The hell was wrong with him? Did he get food poisoning? Sephiroth ate the same thing he did. He sagged into his bedding, exhaustion pulling at every part of his brain and shaking body until he drifted aimlessly away.

“I think you should rest for the day,” Sephiroth said from where he sat on the edge of the bed while Cloud rested on his back, head propped by a pillow the man had just fluffed up. The blonde was still incredibly pale and sweat clung to his brow though no noticeable fever had been detected.

“I must seem super unreliable to you,” Cloud muttered bitterly and the silverette smiled.

“Not at all. I was privy to your vomiting last night, you’re not faking. It can’t be helped if you’re ill. You’re in a new place being exposed to lots of new things. It’s possible you were exposed to something else while cleaning yesterday that made you unwell,” Sephiroth offered.

“Or maybe the ghosts did it,” Cloud interjected with a crude, though unwell smile and his boss returned the curve of lips. “I mean, they do seem to hate me.” 

“I sure hope not,” the silverette responded. The blonde watched as Sephiroth stood then and looked fondly down at him.

“I’ll bring you something light for lunch, perhaps some broth with a light bit of noodles. You need to have something in you,” his boss informed and the blonde frowned, not entirely sure the clenching and twisting in his stomach would allow anything of the kind.

The food had not sat well with him, but at the very least Cloud did not get sick again even if he regretted eating. Ice water was his only real pleasure and he relished sipping it from a straw when he was awake between naps. It was only about seven oclock that he realized he needed to use the bathroom or risk an accident and so finally pulled on some clothes with heavy limbed struggle and used the half bath right across from his bedroom for the first time, thankful he had a toilet so close. Sephroth visited him before he retired to his own bed, intent on letting the blonde sleep undisturbed and to Cloud’s surprise he received a goodnight kiss to his lips before he was left alone. With a bothered sigh, the blonde laid down on his side, a frown dipping his lips. He needed to get better and get back to work. To be sick right away was awful.

Cloud had no bizarre dreams, but he was woken by the sound of shattering glass. After a quick glance around his lit up room he looked at his phone which read twelve twelve and he groaned as he dropped his head. His stomach felt considerably more settled, but he also had not been awake very long. With a sigh he pulled his blankets up, not fully registering the slight chill on his skin as he rolled over and stiffened when he turned into a wall of frigid air. His heart stopped and eyes widened as he stared, mouth dry and throat tight. A pull of tension began to fill him as his chest contristicted as he stared straight ahead. Something was in his bed. Something misty and red. He laid frozen, unable to move for a long moment before he finally dared to allow his eyes to pan up, following the red misty form sitting atop his bedspread. The cold reached into his blanket, soaking into his gooseflesh skin as every hair on his body stood up with a shudder. 

And with a spark of anxiety, Cloud realized he may have been looking at whatever he’d seen at Sephiroth’s door. It looked human, sitting upright with long legs cased in red stretched out. It’s hair looked like a bob cut, but it was hard to tell as it seemed to stare out straight ahead, arms looking to be folded in its lap. He lowered his eyes and gripped the blanket in his fists tighter. What was he going to do? His heart started beating again, pounding maddeningly in his chest and ears. Sweat misted his skin as he lay stiff, shivering in the growing cold as the thing sat there, staring ahead like it hadn’t noticed him. He wanted to hide, to bury his head beneath his blanket, but Cloud knew that wouldn’t work. He wasn’t a kid being scared of the dark. What was in front of him was real. 

He squeezed his eyes shut, fighting the instinctive, fearful pressure building in his throat. The air grew even colder, so much so his toes almost felt numb and shivers began to wrack his body. And then he felt a painful, icy grip on his shoulder and a shrill gasp scratched the back of his throat as his breath finally broke free in sharp, shallow bursts from trembling his lips. His heart nearly exploded in his chest as breath fanned his hair, disturbing the blonde tendrils. Tension mounted in Cloud’s body, to the point that pain began to burn his muscles while he tried to subtly turn his face into his pillow. 

The pressure on his shoulder grew. He panted into his pillow, stomach jolting with nausea as it twisted into knots. He stilled, tense as a rubber band about to snap. It was minutes, at least, maybe longer, but at some point the grip on his shoulder was gone and the chill in the air began to dissipate. For a long moment, Cloud dared not move his face from his pillow, but eventually, unable to ignore his difficulty breathing he turned his face enough to see the other side of his bed where the misty figure sat. But it was gone. The tension did not leave his body however. He dared not move. He wanted to, he wanted to look around and examine his surroundings to make sure he was actually alone again. But the fearful flutter in his heart kept him pinned in place. And he remained in place, unable to move, unable to sleep, waiting for the next thing to happen. And then a knock on his door sent a jolt through Cloud, stabbing his heart with adrenaline and his eyes opened wide.

“Cloud? Are you awake?” Sephiroth’s voice muffled through the door and the blonde twitched, limbs stiff and sore, even his bug bite was worse as he lifted into an upright position and looked around his room, his gaze unsteady and brain positively buzzing. Had he fallen asleep? He hadn’t even realized it. The door opened and he looked over to see the silverette dressed all in black as usual as he walked across the room, the dark lenses of his sunglasses angled to Cloud’s face.

“You look absolutely exhausted,” his boss said with a frown as he sat on the edge of the bed and rest his hand on the blonde’s knee. Cloud frowned, his entire body was tingling, begging for sleep, but he knew he wouldn’t be able to get any. Not in this house. The ghosts or whatever they were would not allow it. 

“Sephiroth,” Cloud said, voice cracking and weak, and he winced in pain before he swallowed, inducing more pain in his dry throat. 

“Perhaps you should rest some more,” Sephiroth said and the blonde shook his head, warmth filling his eyes as he stared up at the man, full lips pursing in distress as his brows drew up.

“I don’t think I can. This house fucking hates me,” the blonde declared and the silverette tensed.

“Something happened?” his boss asked and Cloud nodded.

“Something got into bed with me last night. It was a misty red figure. I actually saw it the other night too,” the blonde heaved a bitter, loud sigh, shoulders sagging in exhaustion. 

“This fucking sucks. I don’t know what to do. I’m feeling less nauseous today, but everything else feels terrible,” Cloud said, tension winding through him as his heart kicked in his chest. He was thinking it. He was thinking about saying it, but could he actually do it? Was he so weak that he was going to be chased away from this house in just a few days? What about Sephiroth? The man was the first guy he’d ever liked that liked him back. And even if not that, his boss needed someone to help him run the house. Fuck.

“Cloud,” Sephiroth’s soft call pinched painfully into the blonde’s heart and he looked up, an absolutely warring, guilty look on his face. The silverette grabbed one of Cloud’s hands into his own and stared into his face from behind his sunglasses.

“I will do whatever it is you need. I... it’s been so long that I’ve met someone I’ve honestly liked and wanted to be around, who even reciprocates my feelings. I know that this is selfish, but I want to beg you to stay with me,” Sephiroth said, tension tightening his voice and Cloud felt like he’d been slapped in the face as his heart twisted sharp in his chest. Oh, God, Sephiroth felt the same way? The blonde’s heart fluttered as heat filled his face. No one had ever said something so… intimate to him. Yeah, Zack liked him, as buds. No one else had ever asked Cloud to stay, and for Sephiroth to admit that he was happy to have someone reciprocate his feelings… it was exactly how the blonde felt. It was amazing how similar they were. Of course his boss was lonely in this big house. Of course he yearned for companionship. And he was probably guessing what was on Cloud’s mind. Guilt welled up stronger, trying to fight with the elation that was unfurling in his chest, but the growing desire for affection pushed out the guilt by easing him into a new decision. 

“Is there anything I can do to aid you?” Sephiroth asked, a soft plead in his voice as he massaged his thumbs into the blonde’s hand. Cloud thought about it for a moment before he looked up into the silverette’s face, expression much more calm.

“Can we sleep together? Like, even if we don’t have sex? Maybe then I’ll be able to actually get some rest. And then maybe I’ll feel like I can handle this place. I haven’t slept through the night since I moved in, and it’s getting worse. And it’s probably frying my nerves,” Cloud explained and his boss smiled, eager as he leaned forward, long silken waves of silvery hair falling forward, inducing a warmth in the blonde’s cheeks as his heart fluttered when their faces were just a few inches apart.

“Of course. Anything you need,” Sephiroth said, excitement catching in his voice and the blonde felt an awkward twitch in his chest before his lips were kissed and his heart fluttered in joy as his eyes drifted closed. When they parted, the silverette smiled.

“Do you want breakfast in bed? Or do you want to come down?” he asked and Cloud smiled.

“I’ll come down. I’m sort of sick of this room, and I’m not exactly keen on staying in bed with a creepy ghost,” the blonde informed and a low chuckle issued from Sephiroth before he stood and Cloud threw the covers off, revealing him in a pair of old ShinRa U shorts and a black tank-top he’d thrown on when going to the bathroom the day before. Speaking, he needed to go again. His boss stepped out of the way, watching as the blonde stuffed his feet into his shoes without socks, turned his light off and stood up, smiling as he walked over toward the man who held out his arm in welcome by the open door, and wrapped it around Cloud’s shoulders when he reached him.

“A good breakfast will help soothe your nerves too, I’m sure. Then we can take a nap and see how that helps you,” Sephiroth suggested and the blonde nodded, happy and grateful as warmth filled his chest while they walked out of the bedroom. The blonde paused however when he remembered his phone and looked up at the silverette.

“Um, could I grab my phone and take a quick leak?” he asked and Sephiroth chuckled as he nodded. Quickly coming back into his room he groped for his phone in the dark and frowned when he found his fingers hitting only the table. Quickly switching the light on, he stared in surprise when he spied no such device on his bedside table. Brows furrowing he slowly sank onto his haunches and then down onto his knees as he felt around and looked around the table and beneath the edge of the bed. He could see or feel nothing.

“Something wrong?” Sephiroth asked.

“Can’t find my phone,” Cloud grumbled as he stood before heaving an aggravated sigh and glared around the room before he turned the light off and walked back to the door.

“I’ll find it later, I don’t wanna make you wait. So, just let me go and we can go,” the blonde declared as he walked over to the half bath he’d used previously and did his business.

Downstairs Cloud set the table as he had before while his boss cooked. After that the blonde brooded over his phone, wondering where it had gone and wondered if it was the cliche ghost related misplacing of items. Cloud fiddled with the growth of short whiskers on face and frowned. Damn, Sephiroth had definitely seen him all unshaven, and it was itchy as fuck now. His boss came from the kitchen then and smiled, drawing bright blue eyes to him.

“Well, breakfast will be ready in about ten minutes. Do you mind if I leave you alone for that time? I have something I want to give you,” his boss informed and Cloud straightened, feeling warmth in his cheeks again as his heart fluttered while he fought a smile of excitement. 

“You don’t need to do that,” he said and the silverette chuckled. 

“But I want to,” Sephiroth said before he walked down the table and headed for the hallway leading back to the foyer. 

“I’ll be back as fast as I can. If something unsettling happens you can go outside, since I don’t think you’ll be chased out there,” his boss informed, and Cloud nodded as the man disappeared into the shadows of the house out of the blonde’s line of sight. He leaned back in his seat, thinking about what to do after breakfast. First, shave his gross face. Then he could try and find his phone, see if it did magically turn up in some weird location in the house. It had better not turn up broken. After a few minutes he ended up pushing his unused plate out of the way and laid his head down on his crossed arms and sighed. He couldn’t abandon Sephiroth. He needed to figure out how to deal with this house. Maybe he could actually try and communicate with it? It sounded stupid, but if he could maybe find out more about the house, maybe he could figure out what to do going forward. He could try and see if Sephiroth didn’t mind someone blessing or cleansing the house. The sound of feet thumping caught his attention and the blonde hummed as they drew closer, louder. 

“Sephiroth?” Cloud called, pausing to listen. Would it be another disembodied footsteps episode? Or was he going to see another misty figure? He wasn’t going to look until he heard something. If it was one of those fucking figures, he was going to ignore it. Just like he did the night before. After not hearing a response to his call however, his heart started to pound despite himself and he swallowed. Fuck, he couldn’t deal with this. But he needed to. A hard pressure on the back of his head made him stiffen and Cloud sucked in a breath that caught in his chest as every muscle locked with tension. And then, a sharp pinch in his neck. A grunt of confusion erupted from the back of his throat as something clearly slid into his flesh and then slid back out a second later. The pressure disappeared and the blonde jerked his head up, eyes wide when he stared up at Sephiroth standing next to him, smiling with a needle between his fingers, thumb positioned over the plunger. What?

“Sephiroth?” he asked, confusion in his voice which was further increased when he found his tongue tingling as it went heavy in his mouth, and shortly after his body followed suit as he struggled to stay upright. He started to sag, staring wide-eyed at the silverette as he sank to his right until he slid off the chair and hit the floor hard on his shoulder, his head smacking against the surface as pain burned down the side of his neck.

“Relax, Cloud. This is for the best,” Sephiroth declared with a silken purr to his voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short smut scene. Describing the act of vomiting. Drugging. Spooks!
> 
> Things will be waaay more exciting now. ^_^


	8. Encounter 8: The Doll Maker's Tools

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud is acquainted to the horror of his new reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I have some good news! I should be getting my laptop back in the next couple days! I'm excited to not be so limited in when and how I can write. 
> 
> In other news, I do have a new chapter done! And chapter nine is being worked on. Hopefully I did well conveying this chapter's emotions and horror. DX 
> 
> I hope everyone enjoys this chapter! And if you're reading this before Monday, I unfortunately can't respond to comments at the moment (I will on Monday), but know that I've read every single one and I'm very touched and very much experienced a mood lift. ^_^ So thank you all so much!
> 
> Playlist/soundtrack
> 
> In This Moment: [In The Air Tonight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZS2O4dXFXE)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Blood Pulse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onHdoaxTdPw)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Warped Mind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkurXmkUFTg)  
> Ayako Toyoda: [ Another Hallway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trkYXmTvlro&list=PLD0B2C600CB0FEF64&index=4)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Only a Nightmare ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEWLDJc2YDE)  
> Mikko Tarmia: [ Darkness](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8jFc2Wmfcs)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Prisonic Fairytale ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk-3uAkcPXQ)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Wail of Warning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrWsWNOOfuQ)  
> Marilyn Manson: [ Born Villain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06LXBa-MbH0)  
> The Birthday Massacre: [ Surrender](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB0UzaGbUUY)  
>  **Same drill as before. There will be warnings for the chapter posted to the end to avoid spoilers for people who don't want to see them. If you want the warnings, just click the button or scroll to the end of chapter notes.**

Cloud’s breath drew in shuddered and shallow, the effort to breathe felt almost insurmountable as he stared, eyes wide staring under the table. His sight caught the rug on the right of his vision and past a leg of the dining table a pair of dark feet stood facing toward him. Footsteps rounded the blonde’s previously occupied chair and stopped at his back before hands slid beneath his side while Cloud’s heart raced frantically in his chest when he was lifted into an upright position, head lolling to the side. 

“I would have liked more time with you, but I can’t risk you leaving,” Sephiroth said professionally as fingers grasped the blonde’s chin and turned his head up to look into the sunglass covered eyes of his boss… his attacker. And Cloud stared in disbelief, unable to process what the hell was happening. A smile curved the silverette’s mouth as he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Cloud’s lips before his hand gently allowed the blonde’s head to fall to rest and an arm slid beneath the blonde’s knees and he was lifted into the air against Sephiroth’s chest. Cloud’s heart pounded maddeningly in his chest as nausea jolted his stomach when he began to glide across the floor, staring at it as they made their way to the foyer and then up the stairs. Fear coiled tight in his stomach, stabbing into his heart as his mind raced, frantic. What the fuck was happening?! Was this some sort of elaborate prank? No, it couldn’t be. Just what the hell was going to happen now? Why was it happening? What was going through his boss’ head?!

Cloud was carried down the hall towards Sephiroth’s bedroom doors and after being pushed against the silverette’s shoulder, forehead pressing into the man’s neck, his boss adjusted himself to the side and twisted the door open with a side grip of his right hand before he stepped through. A horrible chill settled over the blonde, so cold he shivered as they walked through the bedroom to the bulging wall. Cloud found himself being set down to rest in the corner of the room and slumped forward with a view of his lap. _Like a doll._ Horror bloomed all through the blonde and froze his blood in realization. Stress burned all through his body, even to the top of his head as his heart jolted in painful repeated motion, his breath nearly stopping all together. A doll. He was a doll. The sound of something heavy scraping and grinding filled the air, driving a deep primal fear through Cloud as the cold grew worse, soaking into his body before his attacker returned and picked him up again, rewarding the blonde with the sight of a slid open door in the bulging wall.

“You had a bad habit of opening your eyes, Cloud,” Sephiroth informed as they stepped into the nearly pitch black mouth behind the wall and the blonde listened to the sound of footsteps on brick or stone as they descended what he realized was a staircase. Hot water burned Cloud’s eyes and leaked down his cheeks as they walked until they stepped out onto a flat floor that sounded suspiciously like more stone or brick. The blonde found himself being put down on something hard and his heart twisted sharply when he recognized the position from his dreams before the painfully, frighteningly familiar sound of footsteps over stone filled his ears. Just has he’d heard them before. Oh, God, it was the same. It was exactly the same. Which meant it was real. All of it.

A moment later he heard a match struck and a low flickering light filtered in through the dusty air, just like in his dreams. It was horrifically absurd. The figure that stalked around him he could now identify even in the dark with his long hair and dark clothes was none other than Sephiroth. However, this time he carried the candlestick with him, allowing the light to move and keep his face lit up as he placed it on a table near Cloud and walked over to the old machine he’d seen before. Dread sunk in deeper, stoking the fires of his fear in the blonde as more water slid down his cheeks. Was he going to die? Pain twisted his heart intimately, digging deeper into the core of his being.

“I usually have a few months to enjoy my new doll’s body before reaching this point,” Sephiroth said softly while turned away. “It’s a shame, I’ll miss making love to you,” he informed as he flipped a loud switch and the humming from the blonde’s nightmares returned. Cloud watched, wishing he could run, wishing he could punch the silver haired monster in the face and make a break for it. And then a rude thought occurred to him. 

He would probably never see outside again. The pain dug deeper.

“You were very cute, you know,” Sephroth added as he turned from the machine and pinned the blonde with a smile as he removed his sunglasses and set them down on the table by the candlestick and Cloud froze, staring up at the slitted eyes he remembered from the bizarre sex dream he’d had his first night. Betrayal, pain, and revulsion rushed through his body, increasing the useless outpour of adrenaline through his system. It hadn’t been a dream at all! None of it! He had actually woken up, and this thing, this creature with its inhuman eyes of jade had been violating him! Hatred sparked hot through Cloud even though no part of his body could express his growing resentment. Sephiroth had lied to him! He had lured him into the house for this explicit purpose! There was no other reason! The silverette walked closer to the table and slid the backs of his fingers against the side of Cloud’s cheek lovingly, wiping away his tears with a disturbingly tender smile. 

“You’ll make a beautiful doll,” Sephiroth said before he gave a soft chuckle and slid an arm under the blonde’s back and lifted him upright before sliding his other arm under Cloud’s knees again and picked him off the table. The blonde’s head hung from his neck against his shoulder as he was sat down onto what he realized was a chair and he was leaned back, butt toward the edge of the chair to keep him upright and facing the dark. Sephiroth disappeared for only a moment before he returned with the candlestick and motioned it in front of Cloud as his head was picked up and the blonde froze, heart stopping for a terror stricken moment. 

Sitting on a small wood table framed by an array of brushes and unlabeled mason jars illuminated by the candlelight was none other than Scarlet. She looked remarkably younger and healthy, perfect in her red dress. Her skin was smooth and her blonde hair was pulled up like how Cloud remembered her. But the glassy eyes that looked back at him from the stiff neck that held her head upright were absolutely lifeless. Despite the careful painting of her lips, the care put into her eyeshadow, the fanciful red dress and her youthful beauty, what he was looking at was dead. 

“I just finished her yesterday. Isn’t she beautiful?” Sephiroth asked and Cloud wanted to sob. She was a doll. A life size doll made of human flesh. And he knew he was looking at his future. 

“She wanted to be remembered as a beautiful, vibrant woman. To be immortalized as she was in her prime,” the silverette whispered against the back side of his head explained in a soft, tender voice, but there was something darker there, something perversely pleased, enthralled by what he had done, proud even. It was his work, his art. The hand on the back of Cloud’s head turned him until their eyes met, trapped blue meeting disturbed slitted green.

“I promise to immortalize you too, Cloud. I will preserve your beauty for eternity. And then we can be together forever,” Sephiroth explained as he let the blonde’s chin fall gently against his chest before he disappeared with the light only to return and pick Cloud up and lay him back down on the table.

“We’re ready now,” the silverette explained as the blonde’s sore arm was turned and a thick needle was inserted into his flesh by the previous sore in his elbow joint. Panic hit hard again and Cloud wished, compelled, begged his body to move as more tears spilled down his cheeks, encouraged by the painful tearing at his heart. He was going to fucking die! He didn’t want to die here! Blood filled the thick clear tube coming out of his arm and a strangled sound escaped his throat, barely loud enough to even be felt in his throat. Sephiroth returned to Cloud’s side after flipping another switch and stroked his fingers through blonde spikes affectionately as their eyes locked.

“It will take about a week for this stage of the process to be finished. You see, I am going to be replacing your blood with a very special formula I developed that interacts with your body, stiffening and working to preserve your soft, easily rotted tissue. There is nothing like it in the world… it’s my masterpiece,” Sephiroth explained, pleasure in his words as he smiled at the still blonde on the table.

“Unfortunately, I have not been able to develop anything to preserve eyes, but don’t worry. I will find the most beautiful blue there is and use them for you,” Sephiroth promised and Cloud wished ardently that he’d just be killed. He wished many things truthfully. Whatever it took to get away or never to have come into contact with the madman holding his life in his hands. 

“Then I will paint and coat your skin, to help aid in your preservation. What I find most wonderful about this process is that I don’t need to perform any sort of surgical work on you, your bones and joints will be preserved in a stiffened state. I’m sure embalmers and morticians would kill for my special serum,” Sephiroth explained further with a chuckle. “Your hair will be the most difficult to keep, but I’ve become very good at fashioning wigs, so no need to worry about being bald.” Cloud felt sick. Really sick.

“But, we have a week of getting to be in each other’s arms. And I promise to love you lavishly until your final days. Now, don’t fret, you’re going to find yourself succumbing to a peaceful sleep. No pain, no suffering, and no fear. And I will comfort you through it all,” Sephiroth promised as he placed a kiss on Cloud's forehead and stepped away. 

“Just think of it, you’ll be young forever. Perfect. No aging, no rotting, no unsightly bodily changes. Perfection! And even better, we will get to love each other forever,” the silverette declared with derisive excitement and arrogance in his pleasure, lost in his own world. And through it all, Cloud shuddered, fear twisting tighter and tighter in his chest, begging something to relieve him of his burden.

Sephiroth did not speak again after that. He changed the tube and flipped switches, causing the machine to hum louder with a slight tinny shriek, like it was working harder as a clear liquid was pumped into Cloud’s arm, cold, mysterious, and threatening into his veins. And the blonde had to wonder after a moment, if this was what made him so sick the day before. After about five minutes he was disconnected from the tube and picked up again, carried to the stairs and up them until they were in the pitch darkness of Sephiroth’s bedroom. Cloud was laid down in the silverette’s bed and covers were pulled over him before a kiss met his lips in the dark. Despite that the blonde was able to catch sight of eyes from his slumped over vision, he swore they glowed; like a demon.

Cloud didn’t even realize he’d fallen asleep until he woke up, body heavy and tingling in the dark. But, to his shock and elation, he’d been able to twitch his head upon waking. In fact, as he became more aware, he was on his side, which meant he had rolled over in his sleep. Excitement bolted through him, feeding the pace of his heart as he tried to lift his arm. It shook, and was heavy, almost like his muscles were stiff and resisting movement. But he managed to grab the blanket and peel it away, but not without a loud pop in his shoulder. Pulling the covers away, Cloud tried to sit up, but couldn’t engage his abdominal muscles enough for the lift, and so pushed until he was about to roll off the bed and used his quivering hands to let himself sink to the floor. He needed to be quiet. Sephiroth’s drug had worn off, but he was guessing whatever shit the insane bastard put in him was doing its job. He remembered Scarlet and winced. He couldn’t believe what had happened to her. Was anything Sephiroth ever told him true? He probably should go forward with the belief that every word out of that madman’s mouth was a lie.

Unable to stand initially Cloud crawled across the floor. He did not know what time it was, but it seemed that Sephiroth must not have been in the bedroom or he’d have been caught already. Finding a dresser near where he guessed the door was he used the surface in the dark to try and pull himself up. His muscles burned and protested, unbelievably stiff and unwilling to move. But, the more he forced them to move, ignoring a pop in his lower spine, Cloud managed to get to his feet. On his feet and heavily using the dresser, and then the wall, the blonde navigated himself to where he thought the door was on his right. When he found the doorknob he would have shouted in joy despite the intense fatigue and sweat running down his body as he carefully pushed the handle down and the door quietly popped open. He needed to get the fuck out! 

Carefully pushing through the door he nearly fell down, but managed to stay upright with wide birthed, hobbled steps and pushed it closed behind him. Going to the left side of the hall he navigated himself down the pitch black hall. It was so dark he could see absolutely nothing, did that mean it was night? Or did Sephiroth turn the lights off because they were no longer needed? But he needed to get out. How to do that? He could try and make it for the front doors, but given how hard it was to move, he wasn’t sure he could make it down the stairs. And downstairs he was out in the open. If Sephiroth was down there he’d catch him. And if he went outside and it was night time, and Sephiroth figured him out, there was no way he’d be able to outrun him. His phone. Maybe he could try and see about calling someone. He never did try and see if his phone worked somewhere else in the house. And he could try to hide in one of the rooms if he needed to.

It was slow, almost painful to make his way across the gallery. He was covered in sweat and his stomach was threatening him with every step he took. But he could not stop, not now. Not while he could still move. A click to his left caught Cloud’s ear and he tensed, eyes wide and heart lurching before racing painfully hard in his chest. He slowly managed to turn his head, ignoring a grinding sound and small pop in the base of his skull he let his hand slide along the door he was leaning against. It was one of the locked bedrooms. Was it Scarlet’s? Curious, he found the knob, pushed down, and nearly fell over when the door swung open with a discreet creak. Walking clumsily into the room, Cloud leaned against what he guessed was the long chest of drawers and tried to recall the set up of Scarlet’s room. Right, he could close the door and turn on the light to get his bearings. With the door closed behind him, he hobbled his way over, feeling blindly forward until he found the bed with his right hand and followed it to the bedside table. After sitting down, much to his relief, he groped acrossed the polished surface of the table until he grazed something small and flat before finding the stem of the lamp and followed it up to the switch. Light flashed on, blinding enough to make Cloud squeeze his eyes shut for a moment before he could crack them open and adjust to the now lit room. Once adjusted he looked around and nearly screamed. 

If not for how hard it was to move, he probably would have jumped and then fallen, alerting Sephiroth to his presence. But instead he just tensed as he stared in horror at what was on the bed. Not Scarlet. It was no one he’d seen before. A man. A man sat in the bed, back straight, head forward and legs stretched out in front of him. His red hair was cut into a bob as his eyes stared forward, hands folded into his lap, emotionless, lifeless. He wore a red coat and pants, though a white shirt covered the expanse of his torso. The striking familiarity of the blonde’s experience in his bedroom hit and Cloud nearly let a sob loose as his eyes swelled with heat and water blurred his vision. Another one of Sephiroth’s victims. This wasn’t a life size doll, it was a human being. Cloud looked around the room, skin crawling as a cold chill began to settle around him. Was it the misty red figure? Was it going to appear now? Now that he was… looking at its… his body. To his left on an ottoman by the door the blonde froze when he spied another doll. This one had a bob of red hair and blue painted eyes. The chill in the air grew worse as his skin prickled and hair stood up all over his body. 

“Were you trying to warn me?” Cloud asked softly, voice gravelly and breaking apart in places as he spoke. He slid his gaze to the bedside table again and froze, heart dropping into his stomach when he recognized of all things, his fucking phone. Water tickled down Cloud’s cheeks as he grabbed up the device and turned it on, the battery was almost dead, but he found his phone. And then he wondered. Sephiroth probably would have taken his phone by now if he wanted to make sure he couldn’t try to call anyone. But yet, here it was, in a locked room. “Were you hiding this for me?” It was weird to imagine that the house was trying to help him after all the scaring, but thinking about it, it made sense. The house was trying to scare him away, or the spirits within the house. Maybe they had been trying to help and warn him all along. Guilt and regret bloomed in his chest. 

“I’m sorry it was all for nothing,” he muttered before deciding to carefully drop to his knees with the bed held onto for support and pushed his phone deep beneath the mattress. He had no idea what was going to happen going forward, but he didn’t want to be careless. He needed to get his charger and then he could try calling. For now, he had a few days, at least he fucking hoped so. It was getting easier to move the more he forced it, and so he continued to do as he hobbled over toward the chest of drawers. Curiously, as the cold grew stronger, he opened the drawer and found dusty clothes, but among them were a few photos in frames and a wallet. His heart twisted in sympathy for the man that these belonged to, no doubt the man on the bed, and picked up the first framed photo. 

It was of the red-head. He was standing next to someone, giving a handsome almost cocky smile by a man just a little taller. And next to him was a face that nearly made Cloud drop the frame and have a full on panic attack. He could never mistake that face. Though the hair was different, he could never mistake the man he’d thought he was going to fall in love with. Sephiroth was giving a muted smile, his long hair a chestnut brown as it cascaded down his chest and back. They were wearing sports uniforms. Sephiroth was in full football gear minus the helmet which he had in his hand, and the red-head was wearing a fencing uniform, holding his own headgear in his hand. Fuck, they knew each other personally, in university. Did Sephiroth turn on his own friend? 

Putting the photo down and grabbing the other showed three people, they were at a bar of some kind with a large, burlier man with longer swept back black hair. They were all smiling, holding up their pint glasses of beer. Hot water began to trickle from Cloud’s eyes again. Sephiroth looked so normal, so happy. What the fuck happened? Grabbing up the wallet, he decided it was time to figure out who the hell this red-head was. It had to be his, right? Opening it up he was rewarded right away. In the clear sleeve to the left side of the wallet was indeed an I.D. The image was of the red-head, bearing the name Genesis Rhapsodos. The door opened and Cloud gasped, back jamming straight and rigid as he jerked his eyes to his right, and standing in the doorway was Sephiroth with a frigid expression. Everything froze, everything, even coherent thought came to a violent halt. 

“Cloud,” the silverette’s voice called coldly. The blonde couldn’t breathe, couldn’t blink as he stared wide-eyed at the villain before him. Rage then sharpened Sephiroth’s eyes as he glared at Cloud, then jerked his face over to Genesis’s stiff, posed body.

“What did you do? Did you touch him?” Sephiroth asked in sharp, fast words, tension working into the silverette’s voice. Cloud felt like his whole world must have just shattered into thousands of tiny shards at his feet. Those inhuman eyes blazed when they turned to the blonde, expecting an answer. 

“Did you do anything to him?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Horror! Horror! The meat of this horror! Body horror in a way, minus the gore. "Dolls". Drugging. Paralysis. Dead bodies. Ghosts. Terror. Insanity. Obsession. Formal character introduction of secret character! Whew. A lot to go through there.


	9. Encounter 9: The Doll Maker's Work

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud is further acquainted with the horrors teeming within the manor, including the undeniable fact: Sephiroth is insane.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I'm rushing to squeeze this chapter out so that I at least have something of this out on Halloween, since I didn't get to finish by today. DX Unfortunately, because I have no time today, I've gotten this out with a super quick read over. So I deeply apologize for any issues. I did try to find them. 
> 
> Playlist/soundtrack
> 
> In This Moment: [In The Air Tonight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZS2O4dXFXE)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Blood Pulse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onHdoaxTdPw)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Warped Mind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkurXmkUFTg)  
> Ayako Toyoda: [ Another Hallway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trkYXmTvlro&list=PLD0B2C600CB0FEF64&index=4)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Only a Nightmare ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEWLDJc2YDE)  
> Mikko Tarmia: [ Darkness](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8jFc2Wmfcs)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Prisonic Fairytale ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk-3uAkcPXQ)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Wail of Warning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrWsWNOOfuQ)  
> Marilyn Manson: [ Born Villain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06LXBa-MbH0)  
> The Birthday Massacre: [ Surrender](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB0UzaGbUUY)  
> Meg Myers: [Desire](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agul5xTnqdY)  
> Deftones: [Change (In The House Of Flies)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuzJAgXIdCc)  
>   
>   
>  **I hope everyone enjoys! But! I will say, this chapter in particular more than any so far, if you're nervous or were uncomfortable with the last chapter, read the end of chapter notes for tags/warnings/spoilers! This is the most messed up chapter in the whole story.**

Cloud pushed the drawer closed, body nearly falling against it as Sephiroth stormed past him to the bed, and he stared in horror as the silverette began to gently inspect Genesis' body, gently touching his hair, arms, and examining his clothes before he pinned a dangerous look the blonde’s way. Cloud leaned his back against the chest of drawers, heart slamming viciously against his rib cage as Sephiroth walked briskly back toward him and grabbed the front of his shirt in a tight fist. The silverette leaned into his face, a sharp, dangerous look in his eyes, lips a tense straight line as anger clearly could be seen in the angle of his brow.

“You have betrayed my trust, Cloud. That was a stupid thing to do. If you had harmed Genesis I would have no mercy even for you,” Sephiroth growled and the blonde trembled, shrinking away from him as those vicious eyes bore into his own, demanding something. “I should have given you another injection to keep you still. But I had hoped to let you rest comfortably, seems I was a fool,” the silverette hissed and Cloud drew in a shuddered breath when he was pulled by his shirt and he fell into the taller man’s chest. 

“W-wait! I didn’t touch Genesis! I swear! The door just unlocked on its own!” Cloud gasped, hot water stinging his wide eyes as he grabbed Sephiroth’s black button down shirt in his weak fists and looked into his face. “I’m sorry! Please, I would never do anything to hurt anything you care about!” he pleaded, voice cracking in anxiety, but Sephiroth seemed unmoved by his pleas judging by the lingering look of danger on his face, forcing the blonde to jerk his face down to stare at the floor between them. He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to die. His mind raced, trying to figure out what to blurt to calm the silverette down. 

“I-I love you!” Cloud shouted, water running down his cheeks and framing his full, trembling lips as he looked back up at his captor. “I’m sorry I came in here. I was feeling unwell, and because I found I could move I was going to head for my room!” he gasped, cringing inside and wailing internally for how awful and fake it sounded. There was no way Sephiroth was going to buy it. A tense moment of silence stretched between them as the man’s gaze bore into his own, growing rapidly cold and icy. The silverette’s hand slackened on Cloud’s shirt before his hands moved and grasped the blonde’s shaking shoulders. 

“I understand,” Sephiroth said, his voice much more measured before one hand moved, a finger pressed to the bottom of the blonde’s jaw and tilted his head up so that their eyes could meet. A soft smile curved the silverette’s lips as he lifted a thumb and brushed some of the tear tracts on Cloud’s cheek away. “But know this, if you misbehave I will punish you and hurry up the process. Which means we will not be able to spend any time together,” Sephiroth promised calmly and Cloud felt his heart drop into his stomach as cold fear filled his chest. Nodding mindlessly he let himself sink into Sephiroth’s chest, willing himself to try and relax as those offensive hands slid around to the backs of his shoulders, pulling him into a light embrace. What was he going to do? Cloud’s heart stuttered as the thought came, but fear gripped his tongue, making it hard to speak. 

“Sephiroth?” 

“Hm?” was the gentle hum he received. 

“Is there some way we can… hold off on making me a doll?” he asked, cringing and tensing when he felt Sephiroth’s body stiffen some, fingers pressing into the backs of his shoulders.

“Why? I will make you beautiful and perfect forever. And I can’t do that if you run away, or heaven forbid you have an accident,” the silverette responded. Cloud frowned, trying to calm his heart and breathing as he wrapped his arms around the narrow of Sephiroth’s waist. 

“But, we can’t make love once I’m a doll,” the blonde answered, a great deal of anxiety filling him at the possible and most horrendous answer he could hear. 

“I know. It does sadden me that I won’t be able to, but Cloud, this is for the best,” Sephiroth said softly and some of the tension eased in the blonde. A least he didn’t have to worry about the madman trying to fuck his… ugh.

“But, I want to still,” Cloud blurted as he lifted his head and looked up into the slitted pupils of jade green eyes. “I only just started having sex. I mean, it hasn’t even been a week since I lost my virginity,” the blonde said as a heavy wave of heat filled his face and fluttered his heart in pure embarrassment, and perhaps a strong bout of revulsion. “I haven’t gotten to enjoy it at all,” the blonde explained, feeling the heat in his face grow hotter. He couldn’t believe he was trying to use sex as an excuse to escape, or at least prolong his fate. “And I want to experience more things with you. I won’t run, I promise. I love you.” A thoughtful look crossed Sephiroth’s features, daring to spike a small light of hope to flicker to life in the blonde before the silverette focused on him again and smiled. 

“All right. I normally don’t move so fast anyway. But, I was worried you’d leave me. But if you swear to me you won’t, and you behave like a good doll, then I will hold off on any more treatments,” Sephiroth declared and Cloud almost felt a sob want to wrangle free from his lips in pure, unadulterated joy. Hot water stung his eyes and his heart fluttered wildly in his chest, prompting at the very least, a sniffle as he pushed his face into the silverette’s chest.

“I did give you a good amount of my serum yesterday, but it will work out of your system in time,” Sephiroth explained, a criminally beautiful smile directed at Cloud who lifted his face just in time to see it as the silverette’s hands slid down from the blonde’s shoulders to his hips. Relief and elation welled up higher in the blonde, so much so he didn’t even mind the way the silverette’s hands groped his ass. The only thing he had to worry about now was Sephiroth potentially finding Cloud’s phone hidden beneath Genesis’ mattress. Speaking, perhaps he should try and move things back to Sephiroth’s bedroom. Despite the fact that the silverette had pulled their hips closer together and an eager erection pressing into Cloud’s hip, the last thing the blonde wanted was to do anything in the same room as a dead body turned doll. Cloud smiled as he lifted his shaking hands up and cupped Sephiroth’s down turned face. 

“I’m still pretty stiff and weak, do you think we could move to your bed?” he asked and a soft chuckle emitted from the silverette’s lips as his head dipped down, one hand leaving the blonde’s ass to grab a fist full of hair, not in a tight grip, but enough to force Cloud to tilt his head back as lips met his own. 

“Feeling shy, doll?” Sephiroth purred against the blonde’s lips as his mouth parted and a tongue slid across the crevice of his lips, inducing an anxiety fueled race in Cloud’s heart. He trembled, eyes hot once again as the silverette’s other hand slid up to the narrow of his waist and pulled them tighter together while forcing the blonde to bend back as his tongue sought entry into the blonde’s mouth. Anger flared through Cloud, anger and disgust as he opened his mouth and let Sephiroth’s slimy muscle press inside, aggressive in licking and sucking on his tongue until he was nearly dizzy. The hand left Cloud’s hair, instead cradling his neck as Sephiroth dipped forward and the blonde found himself helplessly pushed to the floor, fear gripping his heart tight. Fuck!

“Can’t we go somewhere else?” Cloud begged, and the silverette stopped as he settled onto his hands on the floor, hovering over the blonde before he lifted his left hand and pressed his index finger to Cloud’s full lips.

“Shhhh… We don’t want to disturb Genesis, do we?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde felt his insides twist around inside him as a horrid chill settled over his skin. Tears pricked the corners of his eyes as his captor settled his body on top of his and smiled down at him while stroking the right side of his cheek with the backs of his long fingers. 

“My beautiful doll,” Sephiroth lilted softly and Cloud felt his entire head burn in stress as the silverette’s lips lowered to his again and kissed him, tongue plunging into a surrendered mouth. Sephiroth’s hands began to eagerly feel down Cloud’s body, caressing and grabbing as he quickly shed off the blonde’s shirt and then leaned back to tug his pants off. Cloud did his best to steady his breathing, but the anxious race and utter horror of the moment made it impossible as he very quickly was naked and trembling despite his best attempts to stop it. A soft sound of approval hummed from the back of Sephiroth’s throat as those inhuman eyes stared down at him, alight with a demonic glow in the low light of the bedroom as his left hands slid down the exposed flesh beneath him. 

The smile on the madman’s lips grew as he slid his hands up to his own body and shrugged out of his jacket with increased need, and Cloud had to resist the pressure in his throat while his heart slammed viciously in against his ribcage. Fear spread further through him, stilling him into nothing better than a terrified rabbit beneath a predator’s hungry gaze as the informal suit jacket was tossed off and then the buttons of Sephiroth’s shirt were quickly undone before that article of clothing was pulled open and tossed away, revealing a much more impressive network of sculpted muscle than even Cloud possessed despite having more recently been playing sports. Sephiroth’s fingers went for the button on his pants, drawing his captive’s eyes to the suddenly not so enticing bulge in the man’s pants before he paused and his eyes slid to the blonde’s and he let his hands fall at his sides.

“Cloud, perhaps you should participate too,” Sephiroth declared and Cloud nearly felt his heart stop for a painful second. He remained stiff for a moment, eyes wide and wet before the unsettling smile on the silverette’s face started to drop and the blonde forced himself to sit up. He couldn’t disobey or show any resistance, if he did he’d be exactly like Genesis. As he made his way to his captor and fingers grabbed the band of the man’s pants, a lone finger beneath his chin had Cloud looking up into a softly smiling face. 

“Dolls do as they’re told, don’t they? A good doll obeys,” Sephiroth informed and Cloud felt his heart once again twist in his chest as heat burned through his head from the stress as he nodded. The silverette’s smile grew as he slipped his finger from under the blonde’s chin with a soft chuckle.

“Then go on, doll,” Sephiroth purred as Cloud refocused on the pants, on the button, and held his breath as he popped it loose and then reached for the zipper, fingers shaking as he grasped the small pull and slid it down over the bulge. The silverette’s eager hand reached inside and the blonde felt a strong wave of dizziness assault him when he realized he was still holding his breath and released it before he took in another as the flushed, swollen organ slid free. It stood proud and large, the head dipping due to its own weight as veins stood raised to the surface, supplying blood to the organ as the flushed head glistened with pre-cum. A hand settled on the back of Cloud’s head and pushed and the blonde almost gasped when the silverette’s hips pushed forward until his lips met the warm, wet heat of Sephiroth’s cock. 

“Suck,” Sephiroth ordered, voice surprisingly stern, commanding, and Cloud felt his heart stutter before continuing its sprint in his chest as he parted his lips and allowed the flushed, plumed head to slide across his tongue. The taste of flesh and sweat added with the light taste of the clear fluid tensed the blonde’s features as Sephiroth pushed his head down further and he gasped, throat clenching with a gag. 

“Shhhhh. I’ll not hurt my precious doll. Just relax,” his captor ordered and Cloud had to work to resist whimpering when he realized he wasn’t being allowed to slide back to try again. But, they had stilled, and so the blonde took the moment to relax, breathe through his nose and consequently the smell of Sephiroth’s sex, and relaxed. Perhaps something in his body language gave him away, but after the moment passed and he was ready, the silverette was urging him to swallow more. “Relax your throat, breath softly through your nose until it reachs your throat. Then you will need to breathe when you draw back. And keep your neck straight,” the silverette explained and Cloud felt the heat in his face grow, not just from the heat radiating from Sephiroth’s crotch, but from the sheer anxiety coursing through his blood as tears wet his vision. He needed to not cry. He had to hold it back. 

Eventually came the difficulty of swallowing the silverette’s dick down his throat while trying to keep his throat muscles from clenching as something entirely unwanted and foreign slid down his throat, blocking his airway for a lingering moment. The moment lingered so long Cloud almost wanted to punch the silverette. But, before he could lose his rationale and give in, the throbbing organ slid backward, relieving his throat and giving him the chance to finally breathe. Sephiroth thrust his hips forward with an appreciative groan as his hand guided Cloud’s head forward again until his nose nearly buried itself in the thick nest of silvery curls crowning the silverette’s cock, before he allowed the blonde to pull back. 

“Suck, Cloud, you’re not to remain so passive. I haven’t made you a doll yet,” Sephiroth admonished lightly, a soft, affectionate chuckle to his breathy voice as Cloud struggled to do what was asked until he succeeded in sealing his lips around the vascular organ and sucking as the leaking head slid back toward his lips, allowing him to breathe and brush his tongue over the sensitive head and collect the build up of fluid, drawing a low, pleasured groan from the silverette. 

“Good, doll. You’re doing good,” Sephiroth moaned as he pushed Cloud to swallow him again faster, and though he nearly choked on his own spit once, the blonde managed to keep up with the increasing pace as the silverette began to thrust his cock and forth through his sucking lips and down his throat, all the while giving soft, breathy moans of pleasure. Cloud’s brows twisted up in distress at the increasing speed of Sephiroth’s thrusts, and the escalating pants and moans sliding into the air from the silverette’s lips until suddenly, he stopped. Cloud tensed, heart clenching in fear of an orgasm and the consequential gush of fluid down his throat when Sephiroth looked down at the blonde and smiled as he slid his heavy cock free from his mouth. 

“You did very good for your first time, doll,” his captor purred as he dropped to his haunches over Cloud and smirked. 

“Time to lay down, doll,” Sephiroth ordered and Cloud felt the squeamishness in him rise again. He was still in Genesis’ fucking bedroom, with the… oh, God he couldn’t bare to fully form the thought as he laid down on his back, body tense as Sephiroth crawled over him, hair falling over him in a thick silvery curtain of threads. Cloud’s ankles were grabbed and lifted up over the silverette’s shoulders and the blonde had to work to resist a moan of fear, of genuine psychological torment not much different than what the cliched tortured spirit would. Knees pressed to his chest, Cloud dug the tips of his fingers into the rug beneath him as a crude wet finger touched his exposed ass hole and he shuddered. They didn’t even have lube, was Sephiroth seriously only going to use spit? He doubted the bastard had anything on him unless he just felt like carrying around lube, which he doubted. The finger pushed inside him, stretching him uncomfortably fast and the blonde hissed, teeth grit as it curled and worked explicitly on stretching him quickly despite the burning pain he had to know he was inflicting. Sephiroth clearly wasn’t interested in pleasuring him, which was evidenced by the quickly added second finger and Cloud grunted, throat clenching as he fought to remain quiet. 

“It’s going to be a little rougher than usual, doll. But don’t worry, I’ll make it up to you later,” Sephiroth informed with an eager pant as a third finger brutally stretched him open and Cloud whimpered from the increased burn of stretching wider and wider until finally, the muscles started to give and stretched with ease. “Much better,” the silverette purred as his fingers slipped free and the blonde gasped, eyes going wide in panic when something warm, and still wet from fresh saliva pushed against his hole. 

“Relax, doll. Take a deep breath and exhale as I push in, same as last time,” Sephiroth said affectionately and the blonde sucked in a breath, heart pounding in his chest and ears as the pressure at his ass hole increased, forcing his puckered muscles to spread open wide around the large girth of the poorly slicked cock penetrating him. A whimper broke from the back of Cloud’s throat, the breath breaking free as he gasped when his muscles flowered open wider while a low, gratuitous moan spilled from Sephiroth’s lips. It didn’t take long, a few shushes from his captor and the madman was balls deep inside Cloud, resting on his hands on either side of the blonde’s head. Their eyes met, pleasure fogged monstrous green and watery eyed blue. A tender smile graced the lips hovering up overhead.

“I love you, Cloud. I’m so glad, to hear you feel the same,” Sephiroth whispered and the blonde’s lips trembled, brows tensing up as uncontrollable emotion pulled from his full lips with a sob and he nodded, nodded fervently even if all he wanted was to run away. Broken, raw, and alone to weather a storm he was certain he could not survive. “Shhhhhh, goodness, doll. Does loving me bring you to tears?” Sephiroth asked as he dipped his head down until their foreheads touched, silvery hair pooling around them as Cloud nodded, biting down on his bottom lip in an attempt to control himself.

“Ah-ah. What did I say about biting your lips, doll?” Sephiroth admonished sweetly and the blonde released the tortured flesh before his lips were given a chaste kiss. When Cloud was finally able to settle down Sephiroth kissed him again and lifted up onto his hands before drawing his hips back, sliding his cock backward and rubbing that damned nerve that Cloud wished had never been discovered as pleasure warmed through his lower belly. No! Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. Sephiroth slid back in with a low groan of pleasure that the blonde felt himself nearly mimic, but the sound caught in his throat as the pressure in his eyes returned. Quickly his tormentor picked up space, rubbing his cock back and forth inside Cloud, delivering punishing blows of pleasure he wanted nothing of, and unfortunately his body did not know the different as his dick swelled and curved up toward his hip.

“Beautiful doll, I love seeing you hard for me,” Sephiroth panted as his thrusts grew in speed and strength, jerking the blonde on the rug as broken, sob laden moans spilled from Cloud’s mouth like the water down his cheeks. It just needed to stop, the sick fuck on top of him just needed to finish and get it over with so that he could crawl away somewhere in shame. But the strikes of pleasure on each forward thrust and backward slide lit the fire in the blonde’s lower belly, forcing his cock to throb in threat of ejaculation much to his mortification as Sephiroth thrust faster, harder inside him as his breath broke harder and louder with his moans. Cloud dug his fingers harder into the rug as orgasm built up higher, threatening to snap free until finally, with one hard thrust against his prostate the molten heat in his lower belly and groin exploded from his twitching cock as cum splattered his chest with a cry snapping free from his lips. Sephiroth groaned, thrusts suddenly erratic and desperate as his cock thrust rapidly inside of him, bouncing the blonde roughly on the rug until the silverette tensed with a groan, hips smashing into the round of Cloud’s ass as orgasm overtook him and he came hard and heavy into the trembling, humiliated body beneath him. Collapsed on his back and wanting to sob the blonde looked away. He couldn’t bare to see the pleasure laden, disgustingly affectionate look on Sephiroth’s face. He happened to catch sight of the foot of the bed and Genesis’ head over top and froze, heart skipping a few beats before it felt to swell and almost explode in his chest with a shout when he saw the red-head’s face turned toward him on the floor. Cloud sprung up, hitting Sephiroth who grunted and grabbed the blonde by the shoulders, a cry breaking from Cloud’s lips as he was pushed into the rug.

“Quiet!” the silverette snarled and Cloud stiffened, eyes wide and mouth hanging open as his chest heaved rapidly. After the moment passed, Sephiroth lifted his head and looked to the bed, where Genesis sat, head forward. 

“What did you think you were doing, reacting that way?” Sephiroth asked, voice breathy but stern with authority. Cloud finally swallowed, brow tensing. 

“I-I thought I saw Genesis move,” the blonde stuttered, voice quivering. The silverette looked back down at Cloud with a stony, unimpressed look before he got off of the blonde and stood up. Tucking himself back into his pants, Sephiroth offered out his hand to the blonde who knew better than to hesitate and took it. He nearly wobbled back down to the ground however when his knees decided to buckle but he was caught up by a pair of strong arms as his captor chuckled. 

“You’re silly, Cloud. Genesis didn’t move, he can’t,” Sephiroth said as he half carried, half dragged Cloud’s body over to the desk chair and pulled it out so that it was just a few feet from the bed facing Genesis and rest the blonde’s naked, sweat drying body down on it. Cloud stared, tense and very conscious of his position. The silverette walked over toward the human doll on the side of the bed who sat, expressionless, face forward, hands folded into his lap, and legs stretched out straight in front of him. Horror began to bloom in Cloud anew. What was happening? Sephiroth stopped at the red-head’s side and smiled as he leaned down and placed a kiss to the man’s red hair. 

“Well, I suppose now is as good a time as any. In fact, you will be the first to formally meet them before becoming a doll,” the silverette explained and nausea jolted Cloud’s stomach. He just… he just kissed him. Even if he was perfectly preserved, that man was dead.

“This is Genesis Rhapsodos. I met him in high school. He was my first boyfriend, actually. We were very close, though we also tended to fight a lot,” Sephiroth explained with a smile as he looked at Cloud before turning a tender, loving look to the red-head before he pet his hair. “Unfortunately, After high school he had plans that made us being together impossible. We saw each other from time to time, but he could never stay. So naturally, we broke up. But, about five years ago he came for a visit and I realized I had the perfect opportunity to make sure he could never leave me again,” Sephiroth explained before giving a kiss to Genesis’ cheek. With a chuckle the mad man straightened and turned a clearly pleased smile to Cloud that made his stomach roll and mouth water in greater threat of vomiting. But, the blonde was sure that if he did, he’d offend Sephiroth. Fuck. Breathe through it. Swallow it down. 

“Well, how about I introduce you to the others,” Sephiroth said with a satisfied sigh and the blonde felt his entire world explode, even his ears suddenly rang as the silverette walked over and scooped him up in his arms. “You know, I think they all will like you. Well, I suppose Vincent is the questionable one. I hadn’t been particularly close to him. But, I just couldn’t ignore the gall of the man and decided to keep him around, just to make sure he couldn’t go spreading his lies around,” Sephiroth explained and Cloud once again felt anxiety and stress build as his eyes grew hot. The bedroom door was closed behind them, abandoning their clothes before the blonde was taken to the door to the left of Genesis’ heading toward Sephiroth’s own room. Retrieving some keys that Cloud could not see due to it being beneath his limp body, unable to move, as if trapped inside himself. He could barely even think. What the fuck was happening even truly happening? It was so hard to wrap his head around. The only thing Cloud knew for certain, was that he was terrified of what lay beyond the locked door.

The door opened and the silverette navigated the dark with ease. Within a moment a chair was put in place and Cloud was put down in it before the silverette walked away and turned the bedroom lamp on. The blonde stared, horror clenching his stomach with a new wave of illness. Another body, another stiff human doll sat exactly the same as Genesis. But this man was much larger, burlier. His longer black hair was swept back from his strong forehead, his square and chiseled features forced forward in an expressionless face. Sephiroth rounded the bed and gently ran his palm over the man’s dark hair.

“This is Angeal Hewley. I met him during college and we bonded over sports; he even played, though it was hockey. Funny enough, I met him through Genesis since they used to be childhood friends. We started dating our sophomore year and things were actually pretty good, unlike Genesis he’s much more calm and collected so we almost never fought. But, when Genesis started dropping by after college I saw something sparking between them, and it became quiet concerning. I was worried Angeal would leave me for his admitted childhood crush. Can you imagine, your current lover leaving you for your ex lover that was once their crush? Truly cruel. So, after I took care of Genesis I decided it would be best to make sure Angeal could never leave me too. I love both men, and they love me. So it’s for the best, don’t you think?” Sephiroth explained before giving a kiss to Angeal’s head and smiling with just as much affection for the man as he had Genesis. Cloud wanted to sob. This was fucking insane. Sephiroth was fucking insane. Was it seriously just because he was such a selfish, jealous prick that he killed these people?! Sephiroth smiled at Cloud then as he walked over and crouched before the blonde in his chair.

“Are you worried about not fitting in?” he asked and Cloud felt the urge to scream birth itself in his chest. The blonde tensed and did his best to not show anything on his face, but it seemed useless as Sephiroth chuckled, leaned up, and kissed his lips, which left a revolting tingle on on them. He wanted to wash his mouth out, he wanted to disinfect his the whole of his body. “Don’t worry, doll. They’ll welcome you. I love you, and you love me, right?” he asked and the blonde forced himself to give a single, tense nod. “Then you have nothing to worry about,” the silverette informed as he stood and scooped Cloud up again before taking him to another room. Like before he was placed in a chair in the thick darkness until the room was lit up and he found himself staring at another murder victim. 

The man before him though, made his heart freeze entirely for a prolonged moment until his head started to buzz with lack of air. He had ebony hair like Angeal, but this man’s hair was short and stylish, and arranged to cover one of his eyes. The eyes stared back at him were a shocking green as the narrow, Elvin features composed themselves into an expressionless mask. He was wearing a black suit and matching gloves while arranged in the exact same way as the others. There was one thing though that Couldn’t couldn’t quite shake, and was just how much he looked like Sephiroth. 

“This, is my outlier. His name is Vincent Valentine. He came here four years ago with the most out there proclamation,” Sephiroth said as he lightly sat down on the bedside table by the bed and gently pet the man’s hair. Affectionate, but not as much as the others. “He claimed to be my father,” the silverette informed and Cloud felt his heart quiver, and then Sephiroth chuckled. “This man? This young guy? My dad? Preposterous, don’t you think?” The blonde’s captor then looked at him. “He claimed that I was stolen when I was a baby by my mother due to his choice of career in the mob. I was never able to evaluate his claims, but I didn’t want this man running his mouth off and pestering people with his lies,” Sephiroth explained as he looked back at the pale man sitting in the bed. “I did get a little crush on him though. And he is quite pretty. More than perfect material to make into a doll. And I decided to try out something new with him, which was a success. With Angeal and Genesis I had to take an extra step to preserve the look of their flesh, to keep it from withering and sinking in. But the improved formula actually simplified the process. So, he did have his uses,” Sephiroth said before he leaned down and gave the doll’s cheek a chaste kiss before he stood up and walked up to Cloud, smiling at him again.

“Well,” the silverette said as he dropped to his haunches again in front of Cloud as his hands grabbed the blonde’s thighs, “you have now met the entire family. Well, of course, Scarlet too. I would have never been able to make both Genesis and Angeal into dolls without her aid,” Sephiroth explained and the blonde felt his stomach jolt again in horror. What? So Scarlet was… helping? “Of course, she hoped to bed me, but unfortunately, I never had any interest in her,” Sephiroth said as he stood up and scooped Cloud up again. “But, she became like a sister to me. And after my success with Vincent she wanted me to preserve her the same way after she found out she had cancer. It was the least I could do after all she’s done for me. She is a beautiful woman, it’d be a shame for it to rot away,” Sephiroth explained as he carried Cloud back toward his bedroom. The blonde finally moved, tension shaking his tightened muscles as he grabbed the silverette’s arm. 

“Hm? You need something, doll?” Sephiroth asked as the blonde furiously blinked back tears. Fuck. He shook, his stomach rolled with nausea, his blood rushed in his ears, his heart continuously slammed into his chest. He was breaking apart. He was going to explode. He was going to fucking go insane. He wanted to run, to scream, to fight. But instead he quivered, jaw clenched so tight his teeth creaked as a sob squeezed from his lips while he buried his face into Sephiroth’s bare chest. 

“Shhhh, you met a lot of people today. But that’s all right. We’ll all be here for you,” the silverette assuaged before he placed a chaste kiss to Cloud’s head. 

“I love you, Cloud.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): Dead Bodies, "Dolls", Sex in Genesis' room (on the floor), Non-con/dubious consent, Oral Sex, anal sex, Spit as lube, Intense emotions (fear/anxiety), sobbing, introduction of two more characters, total nightmare fuel, human horror, inference of incest (I'm aware of canon biological ties), idk. Very fucked up chapter. But this is the most fucked up one, since Sephiroth's just revealing all his cards now.
> 
>   
>    
> 


	10. Encounter 10: The Doll Maker's Desire

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cloud was able to gain some time, but the cost may be more than he bargained for.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, everyone! I can't believe it took so long for me to get this chapter out! November got insanely busy for me work wise, and I was unable to properly to have a sit and concentrate on writing. I hope that I can get chapters out a little faster now, but that will unfortunately depend on the whims of work hours.
> 
> This chapter is essentially uncomfortable for Cloud smut. So... enjoy?
> 
> And a shout out to my wonderful beta [PhoenixHideki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/PhoenixHideki/pseuds/PhoenixHideki) who helped me fix up and round out this chapter.
> 
> Playlist/soundtrack
> 
> In This Moment: [In The Air Tonight](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ZS2O4dXFXE)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Blood Pulse](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onHdoaxTdPw)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Warped Mind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkurXmkUFTg)  
> Ayako Toyoda: [ Another Hallway](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trkYXmTvlro&list=PLD0B2C600CB0FEF64&index=4)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Only a Nightmare ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEWLDJc2YDE)  
> Mikko Tarmia: [ Darkness](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W8jFc2Wmfcs)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [Prisonic Fairytale ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dk-3uAkcPXQ)  
> Akira Yamaoka: [ Wail of Warning](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BrWsWNOOfuQ)  
> Marilyn Manson: [ Born Villain](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=06LXBa-MbH0)  
> The Birthday Massacre: [ Surrender](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hB0UzaGbUUY)  
> Meg Myers: [Desire](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Agul5xTnqdY)  
> Deftones: [Change (In The House Of Flies)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuzJAgXIdCc)  
>   
>  **As usual, it's important to check the warnings in the end of chapter notes before reading if you're at all not sure you want to read certain types of content.**

Cloud was carried into the master bedroom where the light was flipped on. And as expected, Sephiroth had no reaction to it as he turned toward the doors leading into the master bathroom where he flipped another switch and then stepped inside the opulent room. The blonde was sluggish and his body quivered, utterly exhausted even if his brain buzzed with high alert as he was carried to the luxurious beige spa tub and set down inside against the back where he could lean and stay still thanks to the non slip bottom of the tub. Sephiroth stroked a hand through Cloud’s hair with a tender smile before he left him and slid over the short distance he needed to reach the faucet and turn it on, adjusting the temperature with his right hand beneath until he appeared satisfied. After that he plugged the tub and turned a smile back toward the blonde who stared, eyes wide and skin clammy in anxiety.

“Can’t leave you all dirty, can we?” the silverette said as he stood up and Cloud stared, heart flipping painfully in his chest when Sephiroth began to remove his clothes beside the tub to his left. “I always take good care of my beloved dolls. That means keeping them clean too,” he said as he dropped his clothes onto the beige granite countertop behind him and turned to the blonde, smiling down at him with a glint in those slitted eyes that spoke of nothing calm and rational. After turning the water off, Sephiroth crawled into the bath, gently moving Cloud forward until he could sink into the bathtub behind him and pull the blonde to his chest.

“You are absolutely precious, did you know that?” the silverette asked as he dipped his hands into the water and began to glide them over Cloud’s flesh, inducing a nauseous wave in his stomach as he was rubbed all over even up over his arms and shoulders to his neck where Sephiroth’s hands wrapped around the column of flesh, muscle, and bone. A gasp caught in Cloud’s throat, eyes wide as his heart slammed viciously when he felt the barest of pressure tighten around his neck. A soft hum came from the man behind him then.

“You have quite a thin neck, but I can feel the muscle there. Swallow please,” Sephiroth ordered and the blonde did as ordered, the bob of his Adam’s apple almost feeling like a pop as another soft, low hum left the silverette’s lips before he dipped down, hair falling over Cloud’s left shoulder. The hand on his right side moved away to make way for a pair of lips to press softly to his clammy skin, and then the brush of a tongue sent a painful jolt through his chest.

“Sweaty. To be expected after our coupling. Still, you simply must relax, Cloud. High stress levels will affect your body,” Sephiroth said simply, affectionately, and if he could have, Cloud thought he would punch the bastard. The silverette eased up and his hands left the blonde, only to return with a washcloth and a bottle of baby shampoo that Cloud eyed wearily.

“Time to clean you up, doll,” Sephiroth purred as poured a generous amount into the washcloth and worked it into a luscious lather before working it around Cloud’s neck and down one arm, then the other, his chest, and then his back, stopping before he reached the water. But that seemed to only be momentary, for when he was done he pushed the washcloth beneath the water and began to gently wipe down over Cloud’s body. The blonde shuddered, eyes hot and wet as the rag worked down to his hips and his thighs before sliding down between them, stroking his sensitive inner thighs. And to his horror, Cloud felt a stirring in his cock each time it was slightly brushed against and his jaw clenched, heart once again twisting in his chest. If anything would kill him it would most likely be his heart giving out under all the constant stress.

“Oh, what a cute doll I have,” Sephiroth purred when he appeared to notice, and then wrapped his hand with the washcloth over Cloud’s swelling cock and the blonde made an audible, stuttered gasp. Warm beneath the water and the washcloth was made of a very expensive, soft fabric of some kind, which didn’t help in keeping himself from reacting. The silverette leaned forward again, his hair draping over the blonde’s shoulder and back again, sticking to him as lips grazed his ear.

“Shall I help my beautiful doll?” he asked, and Cloud’s brows furrowed in distress as his toes curled, knees wanting to close in and try to somehow block the man from handling his dick, but there was no way of removing it unless he grabbed it. Even if he weren’t sluggish from the bizarre drug filling his veins, he wouldn’t have dared, not when he was clearly at a disadvantage. And he remembered... Cloud remembered clearly that Sephiroth had shown value in obedience. Hot water started to prick from the corners of his eyes as he nodded with a deep inhale through the nose when his heart gave another more intense race of anxiety. A kiss met his ear then with a soft chuckle.

“Relax, Cloud. I’ll not hurt my beautiful doll, I told you that. No harm will come to your body while under my care,” Sephiroth assured as he wrapped his hand more securely around Cloud’s swelling cock and massaged it until it swelled thicker and longer. More kisses met his ear, moving down to his cheek to his jaw as the hand grabbed his dick firm and gave a stroke, shocking unbearable sparks of pleasure through his body and drawing an unwanted gasp of sound from his nose. A soft chuckle was his reward as the silverette added tongue, licking up his cheek before placing more kisses as he set his wrist into motion, stroking Cloud from base to tip. Pleasure spread hot through his lower belly, making his cock swell harder as Sephiroth began to pump his prick faster before his other hand pressed on the other side of the blonde’s face, urging his head to move. A groan strangled from Cloud’s tight pressed lips as pleasure flushed his face with his quickening breath as he turned his head and his lips were kissed before a tongue prodded between them.

Cloud’s hand shook as he lifted it, struggling through its weight when it was caught and pulled backward toward his shoulder, a whimper passing from him when he opened his mouth. The silverette’s tongue dove inside, aggressively rubbing and curling around his own as his wrist worked faster, sliding his fist up and down Cloud’s cock. Pleasure sparked hotter, boiling through him as his knees twitched up with a rapidly building orgasm as his tongue was coaxed from his mouth and sucked on by Sephiroth. The blonde’s breath broke fast from his nose, keening, whimpering noises breaking from his lips as his abdominal tensed and his knees stiffened to the sides of the tub. A groan of pleasure spilled from the silverette’s mouth and Cloud became aware of an erection grinding against his lower back. They finally broke lips as the tension of orgasm tightened and his back pressed tighter to Sephiroth’s chest, earning a low rumble of pleasure from the man as he ground his own dick harder against Cloud who shuddered as sparks of pleasure bolted up his spine while the boiling heat inside him grew, swelling him further.

“My beautiful doll,” Sephiroth groaned into his ear with a puff of breath and a sharp gasp followed a strangled grunt broke from Cloud when he tensed, head hitting the silverette’s shoulder as his body stiffened with orgasm before a wave of relief flooded him and his cock spent itself into the water and probably on the washcloth. The blonde sagged after a moment, breath panting from his lips while Sephiroth’s hand dropped the washcloth and slid between them. Cloud tensed when he felt the silverette’s knuckles brushing his backside, sliding up and down against his skin as small grunts of pleasure passed the mad man’s lips in breathy pants. The blonde dared to look up, and he shouldn’t have, seeing those inhuman eyes look down at him, ablaze in lust and pleasure before his lips were captured in a rough, clumsy kiss, and his open mouth taken advantage of until Sephiroth tensed with a pleased growl and a hitch in his breath right as his hand stilled. No doubt he’d just cum in the water and on the blonde’s back. After a moment the silverette’s hand slid back forward and Cloud was drawn into his arms, embraced from behind as the side of Sephiroth’s head settled on top of his own.

“I love you, Cloud.”

Cloud struggled to sleep. Naked, wrapped in Sephiroth's arms and pulled close to his body was unnerving as the continuous tickle that ran up and down his spine in fear kept him from relaxing. His eyes constantly warmed with tears while his heart would occasionally race erratically. There was a monster in bed behind him, entrapping him. Sleeping in peace. If there were some way he would have tried to slip free, but his limbs were still far too heavy, and the silverette had certainly done a good job exhausting whatever reserves of energy the blonde had. How could he sleep? Despite the soft, even breath fanning against the back of his head, disturbing his hair, he knew the creature behind him was deadly. Cloud’s fingers curled into the sheets as anger swelled hot in his chest. He took a shaky, deep breath and carefully released it as he forced himself to relax. He never imagined in a million years he’d ever be in this situation.

He was going to have to live with this man, walk on eggshells, and hope that he could stave off the man’s insane plans for him while trying to figure out how the fuck to get out. It felt so daunting, so insurmountable, but he had to try. One step at a time. He had his phone. He just needed to charge it and perhaps gain Sephiroth’s trust enough to get away somewhere, maybe back to the guest house so that he could use it. Or maybe Zack would make good on his suggestion and show up if he didn’t hear from him. The idea however, birthed a deep and sudden terror in his heart. Zack would show up, unaware, and Sephiroth could easily sneak up on him and hurt him, or worse. No, he couldn’t have Zack show up without him knowing what was happening. It would be best all around if they could get the police up to the house, then maybe they could take down Sephiroth. But, first, one step at a time, he had to remind himself of that. First, he had to gain his captor’s trust. Once he did that, he could make plans. But he couldn’t take too long, he had to pay attention, because he had no idea when Sephiroth would decide he was done fucking him and want to make him into a doll.

Cloud took in another unsteady breath and released it as tears tracked down his face into his pillow. He could so easily imagine himself failing at this. Being caught unaware again and killed. Oh, God, he didn’t want to be on that table again. He’d rather kill himself then go through that. Dying slowly, even if he wasn’t in any pain, was terrifying beyond measure, and it was almost like Sephiroth couldn’t fathom the concept. Cloud sniffled a little, growing even more hot beneath his blanket with the silverette pressed against his back. If Sephiroth actually loved him, he’d let him go. This wasn’t love. Whatever the fuck that man felt, it wasn’t anything remotely like love. Bitterness welled up high and the blonde struggled to keep himself still, not that he could move much. But he certainly wanted to scream, wanted to kill the evil bastard holding him like he was his precious person. No, he wasn’t a person, he was an item, a doll.

And then Cloud woke, with a gasp when the bed jostled. His eyes snapped open, his entire brain buzzing with full alertness as Sephiroth got to his feet on the floor and went to the bathroom. Carefully, the blonde lifted onto his arm, groggy and almost dazed as he watched the man disappear into the lit up bathroom room for a few minutes, which in that time he sank back down before the man returned. When the silverette did their eyes met and his captor gave him a warm smile as he sat on the edge of the bed by Cloud and switched the light on, blinding the blonde for a moment.

“Good morning,” Sephiroth said as he turned and leaned over his captive who went slack in his spot on the bed. A frown dipped the silverette’s lips then as his left hand came forward and grabbed Cloud’s chin while he stared into the blonde’s eyes.

“Your eyes are swollen and bloodshot. Were you crying all night, Cloud?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde felt his heart spasm in his chest in anxiety as he stared, frozen stiff in his inability to even think of a way to lie. A sigh passed the silverette’s lips as he leaned down, hair falling forward as he pressed a kiss to the blonde’s forehead and then rest his own forehead gently against Cloud’s.

“You need not feel such distress, doll. I’ve told you I will not hurt you, nor will I make you into one of my dolls any time soon. So long as you behave, we will be able to be together,” Sephiroth said softly, his breath puffing gently over Cloud’s face before he lifted his head and slipped down enough to kiss the blonde’s lips. “Please, doll. You just need to relax and love me, okay?” the silverette said as he pulled back with a look of plead in his eyes, and it was absolutely jarring to see, not to mention vomit inducing.

“Okay,” Cloud said, and a small little twitch of a smile hit Sephiroth’s lips before he leaned down, kissed his lips again and then straightened up, left hand brushing through blonde spikes.

“You rest for a while. Hopefully nothing comes to scare you this morning so you can finally rest,” Sephiroth said as he stood up and walked over to the chifferobe and pulled out clothes to wear while Cloud stared, expression blank. It was creepy, it was wrong to be like this. But there was nothing he could do. Not bothering to move, the blonde simply let his eyes drop closed, and let his exhausted body and mind tug him back into the sleep he hadn’t even realized he’d fallen into. It was hard to believe that he’d slept at all, and he certainly didn’t feel like he had. More like he’d simply closed his eyes for a moment, but clearly he had indeed slept. Cloud listened to Sephiroth’s movements and feet across the floor as he began to surprisingly spiral into a dreamlike state.

“I’ll bring up something for you to eat later,” the silverette said, and it vaguely registered as the blonde slipped back into sleep.

Shaking woke the blonde, drawing him to alertness before a hard jerk of the mattress had him bolting upright with a gasp caught in his throat. Eyes jerking around the lit up room, Cloud confirmed that the room was empty. A draft of cool air settled to his right, settling into his skin, and he tensed, the hair all over his body standing up as his skin prickled. Taking a slow, careful breath he released it in a cloud of white and shuddered as the cold chill settled deeper into his bones. Cloud wrapped his arms around himself, sluggish with the weight of his limbs now that the initial rush of adrenaline that had him upright was fading.

“What do you want from me?” he asked, voice low and careful. He’d already been caught and was trapped. If warning him had been the intention of whatever it was, be it Genesis, or the other two, they hadn’t reached him in time. So, why should they bother him now? Though he hadn’t given up yet, Cloud saw nothing that could be gained from more ghostly visitations. And then his ears picked up on it, scratching to his left. So light he almost missed it, but softening his breath, he could hear scratching. Turning his head he felt a fear swell his fluttering heart when he remembered the knocking. The outright pounding he had experienced on the bulged wall before. He didn’t want to go, even if he thought he understood what was happening, he truly did not know if anything he perceived was accurate. Putting his feet to the floor Cloud sluggishly made his way toward the wall where he could hear the scratching. He hesitated, blood pulsing in his ears before he finally pressed his hands, and then his ear to the bulging wall.

It was loud and sharp, the sound of scratching in the wall. And then he gasped in realization. Behind this wall, this was the wall that Sephiroth took him through. Behind this wall was the winding staircase that led to the secret room where that horrid table sat. Where the machine that was going to kill him slept. And without a doubt, it was the room where Genesis and the others met their end. Horror squeezed his heart as the blonde backed away, eyes alert on the wall until he hit the bed with the back of his legs and sat down heavily on the edge. What did they want? Before it made sense if they were trying to warn him. But, he knew about the room now, about what was done down there. So why draw him to it now? Did they want him to destroy the machine? That was rather movie-esque.

The creak of a door jolted a sharp panic into his heart and Cloud turned his head, finding Sephiroth in the doorway just as the cold chill and scratching noise ceased. That certainly said something. The silverette smiled at him as he came into the room, a tray in his hands as he walked over to the bed. Cloud watched the man, watched as his tall gait stopped and then sat down next to him and set the tray in his lap.

“I heard you walking from below. Were you awake for very long?” Sephiroth asked softly as he lifted his left hand and brushed his fingers through the blonde’s hair. Slowly Cloud shook his head.

“There was scratching in the walls,” he said plainly as he gazed around the room, intent on not letting the madman know that it had been localized.

“Oh? Odd. Perhaps we have some rats sneaking about. I’ll look into it,” Sephiroth informed as he slid the tray into Cloud’s naked lap and removed the lid, revealing a simple sandwich and a bottle of water.

“You should eat something and hydrate. You’ll recover your motor functions faster that way,” Sephiroth explained as the blonde’s eyes fell to and stared at the meal. He didn’t feel like eating, he almost didn’t even feel like he had a stomach to be honest.

“I’m not hungry at all,” Cloud muttered as the silverette stroked through the blonde’s hair again.

“That’s a side-effect of the serum I was giving you. Your body was going dormant, which is affecting your digestive system. But, eat up, drink your water, and you’ll find your body waking up to its natural functions in no time,” Sephiroth assured with a smile, his tone disturbingly jovial as he leaned forward and pecked Cloud’s cheek.

“I’ll return in an hour, and I expect my doll to have eaten half of his food and at least three quarters of his water. My doll will do as I ask, right?” the silverette asked an odd quiver hit the blonde’s heart as a wave of dizziness assaulted him when he nodded. Appearing satisfied, Sephiroth stood up, turned and walked back out the bedroom door, closing it behind him.

It took effort to make himself eat the meager sandwich, but Cloud did manage to finish over a half hour or so. The water sat less well with him, almost like his stomach was too full even though he still couldn’t even tell if he’d eaten anything. It was like the nerves in his stomach were dead or something. The thought made his heart quiver as a shudder raced down his spine. Half dead. He was half dead.

Cloud ended up laying down again, exhausted from eating and feeling like he’d maybe eaten a Thanksgiving dinner and was in need of a nap. Sephiroth returned just as he was drifting off in the covers, prompting the blonde to snap awake as a hand carded through his hair.

“My precious doll having a nap?” Sephiroth asked in an affectionate tone and Cloud forced himself to give a nod. “You’ve been so quiet and cooperative, I’m quite pleased,” he added. “Well, you can nap for a while. Then I’d like to play with you for a bit, so rest up, alright? Darling doll?” Cloud felt tension in his heart and a sudden and almost uncontrollable pressure in his throat when his heart quivered and hot pressure filled his eyes. He wanted to play with him? Fucking sicko. The blonde pushed his face into his pillow, hiding the new swell of anger replacing the revulsion and fear that coursed through him when he felt a kiss to his left ear and a tickle of hair against the side of his face. A moment later he listened to Sephiroth walk away, no doubt with his tray, and close the door behind him. Finally alone, he released an unsteady breath. What should his first step be?

“Cloud,” the sound of his voice spoken softly with a deep whisper just overhead roused the blonde to alertness. His eyes slid open, long lashes fanning the air before he twisted his head just enough to look to the side and see Sephiroth leaned over him. Long silvery streams of hair spilled over his shoulders, framing his beautiful face as those cat-like green eyes stared down at him, lips curved into a malicious smile that managed to masquerade itself as something affectionate. Upon gaining Cloud’s attention the silverette chuckled softly before leaning down and placing a kiss to his upturned cheek before he pulled away and stood. Immediately the blonde noticed that his captor had changed into clothing he had never seen before. It didn’t quite fit the elegant style he always wore, instead of the formal or semi-formal attire he was dressed in leather.

Cloud’s heart plunged into his stomach as he worked his arms until he could use his hands to push himself upright and sit up. Sephiroth watched him, a devilish smile curving his lips as those eyes stared, promising nothing but anxiety and fear. He was still cloaked in black, as appeared to be his favorite color, something they shared, though perhaps if he lived through this Cloud could think about changing it. The pants Sephiroth wore were tight leather, scoping out the shape of his strong, lean legs and narrow hip, and the crotch showed all too prominently what the man was packing. His torso was bare, exposing his glacial flesh and tight packed muscle, though over his broad shoulders was a long, heavy looking black leather coat that was fastened loosely by belts horizontally stretched across his torso.

Cloud’s hands fell into his naked lap, all too aware of his nudity, which drew another chuckle from the silverette as lifted his hand and made a motion for the blonde to stand. Heart twisting in his chest, Cloud put his feet to the floor, heat burning through his face as he stood up on still unsteady feet and linked his hands over his crotch in a move to maintain some modesty. Sephiroth didn’t seem particularly bothered by his actions, however, as the man motioned the blonde to follow him as he turned toward the bedroom door. The silverette did not wait, simply walked forward as the thick heels of his tall, knee high, equally tight boots tapped over the floor. Cloud stared at the long, thick heels as he nervously followed, wishing for a moment that he had made better choices in life, anything that could have led him in a different direction.

Sephiroth led Cloud, naked, down the staircase and down the hall past the parlour toward the ballroom. They stopped briefly as the silverette pulled out a familiar ring of keys, though it was most likely a different set, and unlocked the ballroom before entering. They walked through the pitch black ballroom, the heels of Sephiroth’s feet echoing loud around them and leading the blonde forward until they reached the steps and stepped up into the short, awkward hall where a light was finally flipped on. In the small hall, Cloud hesitated as he watched the silverette walk up to the other ballroom door and slide a key into the lock. His heart once again twisted as a frown tried to force its way onto his lips.

“You’re finally going to see the second ballroom. It’s quite a beauty,” Sephiroth said with a smile that he directed at the blonde as he pushed the door open but kept his eyes fixed on Cloud’s face. Heat once again burned through the blonde where he remained, frozen in place.

“Don’t I get to have clothes?” Cloud asked and a small chuckle issued from the silverette as he closed the distance between them and brazenly grabbed the blonde’s chin, forcing Cloud to crane his neck higher than ever before thanks to the ridiculous addition to the man’s height in those heels.

“I will dress my doll when I decide to. For now, I’d like my doll to be good and let me play with him as I see fit, clothes or not,” Sephiroth informed and for a moment Cloud felt his eyes burn with water before he averted his gaze and gave what meager nod he could. His chin was released then and when he felt the brush of air when the man walked away right before he heard the echoed click of Sephiroth’s heels on the polished floor inside the ballroom. Cloud turned his eyes to the mad man’s back and after a moment of hesitation, followed inside right before low light filled the new space he had just stepped into.

Cloud froze, back muscles tensing him straight as his eyes widened, taking in the sight of the ballroom around him. It was large and mostly square unlike the previous one. The lights were dim, their yellow light somehow saturating the appalling, primitive imagery adorning the walls. The walls, all of them, were painted with depictions of hundreds if not thousands of bodies squirming together, fornicating in all manner of ways. The art style was more simple and rough, like something he’d expect from pre-renaissance artists. Depictions of men and women, and same sex couples all performing every sexual act he had ever heard of along with what Cloud knew were mixed in scenes of sexual torture and worse. His throat tightened when he realized that the masses of writhing flesh spilled across the floor beneath his feet, glossy beneath the light and even sprawling across the ceiling around the chandeliers were even more macabre scenes of sacrifice and sex played out. His insides twisted up and he grew cold as he turned his eyes toward Sephiroth, who stood looking at the walls, a smile curving his lips.

A ‘beauty’, this was a fucking beauty? Cloud knew nothing about any darker rituals and desires of sex, but he knew what he was looking at had nothing to do with the proper practice of BDSM or anything related to that community. What he was looking at was something disturbed, evil. The painter even went out of their way to depict blood, in some of the busy, bustling images lots of it was present. One woman was fucked, neck slit, obviously depicting necrophilia. Another of a woman drinking the blood from a man’s cut off dick. A man impaled anally on a spike. And there were so many more. Never should such images have been born.

He wanted to run. Never in his life had Cloud wanted to run as much as he did right then. His eyes went back to Sephiroth, horror shaping the sudden paleness of his features as he watched the silverette walk a little deeper into the ballroom, admiring the grotesque before him. Whoever the fuck even conceived of this ballroom, who had this painting commissioned might very well have been the anti-Christ. How brazen and evil a person must be, to depict sexual suffering for pleasure, and brand every inch of a ballroom with it. And even more disturbing was the wonder of what sort of “ball” could have been held in such a place.

“I was so shocked when I first came upon this ballroom. Most of the walls had been wallpapered over, but some of it had been falling off when I bought the place, leading by the nose as it were, to this grand discovery,” Sephiroth explained with a calm delight as he stopped a few feet from one particular section of wall, smiling as he turned to look back at Cloud while one hand lifted and gently touched the surface of the wall. “I couldn’t believe how sadistic the man who had these walls commissioned must have been, there’s quite a lot of nasty imagery on these walls. And yet, I was enraptured by them. The gall, the nerve to do this: the man who did this had no fear. Not to mention the clear self-confidence he must have possessed.” Sephiroth looked away and Cloud felt like he might wretch. The man was deranged, and so was Sephiroth. They fucking deserved each other, and he wanted nothing of it.

“But, I didn’t bring you here to gawk at the artwork,” Sephiroth informed as he strode confidently back over toward Cloud who felt a shiver break out across his skin as his heart stuttered before plummeting into his stomach. The way those boots tapped, so confident and calm, hammering the nail impaled into the blonde’s heart deeper with each painful step until he was so close Cloud could not only smell the leather, but had to lift his eyes to stare up into the silverette’s face. The man was smiling again so endearingly as he lifted his left hand and gently stroked the tops of his fingers against the blonde’s right cheek.

“It’s time to play, doll,” Sephiroth informed and the blonde swallowed past a sudden tightness in his throat. Dread filled his stomach, burdening his limbs as his heart struggled to maintain a regular beat pattern while he forced himself to nod. The silverette’s smile twitched wider as a strange, euphoric gleam came to those inhuman eyes, once again revealing that bizarre, overly delighted look.

“On your knees,” Sephiroth ordered and though he couldn’t help but hesitate, the blonde sank slowly, weakly onto his knees while fighting with his joints to not just drop him to the floor. Settled down, Cloud looked up, into the utter joy his captor had over his compliance as his hand moved forward and fingers cupped the blonde’s chin, thumb rubbing against his flesh as he gazed affectionately at him.

“Now, kiss my boots, Cloud,” Sephiroth ordered and Cloud nearly gasped, eyes widening as his heart jumped into his throat and pounded hard in his ears as his entire head felt to go hot. The silverette’s smile twitched, perhaps enjoying the look the blonde was giving him. “Lick them, doll,” he reiterated. Mortification unfurled in Cloud’s chest as his eyes hesitantly tried to lower, but all he could see was Sephiroth’s palm obscuring his vision before his chin was released and his eyes were able to lock onto the tall boots standing in front of him.

A whimper scratched at the back of his throat, wanting to birth itself into existence as Cloud’s face twisted in distress while he lowered onto his hands and leaned down, the strong smell of leather and rubber hitting nose, and his stomach clenched as his heart pounded so hard in his chest it really felt like it might punch its way out. Taking in a deep breath he lowered himself further to the shine of the black leather of the vamp and quivered slightly as he squeezed his eyes shut and pressed his lips forward. It took an awkward moment, longer than the blonde expected to actually reach the boot and press his lips to the shined surface without his eyes to guide him through the distance. He lingered, shoulders shaking with strain as he flattened his palms to the polish of the ballroom floor.

“Lick it, doll,” Sephiroth ordered, his voice more stern, and Cloud bit back on the pressure in the back of his throat as he slid his mouth open and hesitantly poked his tongue out to taste the leather against his lips. “Continue.” And Cloud did. After a few timid licks he adjusted to the taste and slid the full of his tongue up against the vamp and up to the tongue of the boot until he reached the shaft, twisting his face up until he froze when his eyes locked with Sephiroth’s Which ignited an absolute burn all through his head.. Despite the stern tone the silverette had used a moment ago, he was smiling, a pleased look on his face as he leaned forward and his left hand slid down into the soft spikes of Cloud’s hair and gently buried his fingers into the tresses to massage his scalp. His leg moved then, and the blonde tensed as the pressure on his head forced him to straighten his back and a gasp caught in his throat when the end of the boot’s toe box pressed to his lips, wanting permission to enter a place it had no business being in. Hot water burned in Cloud’s eyes and his lips trembled, jaw tight.

“Open your mouth, doll,” Sephiroth ordered in a gentle, loving voice and finally, the whimper that had been desperate to escape clawed its way from the blonde’s lips as his brows twisted up together in dismay while his lips parted and the toe box wedged itself carefully between his teeth, forcing Cloud to open his mouth wider. The taste of dirt and rubber mixed with leather exploded across the flat of his tongue and the blonde sniffled as the boot wedged in a little deeper, inducing some pains in his jaw.

“Suck, Cloud,” Sephiroth ordered and a sob hit the back of Cloud’s throat as he tried his best to do as ordered, but his lips had pulled backward into his mouth with the boot, in some places being pinched painfully by his teeth. Already drool was dripping from his stretched bottom lip and dribbling down his chin as he tried to thoughtlessly suck the fluids back into his mouth, but all it did was make a loud slurping noise. Pleasure blazed hot through the silverette’s gaze as his free right hand slid to the growing bulge in his tight leather pants and massaged his palm against it, drawing forth a soft, breathy moan as he balanced himself and nudged his boot a little more inside and Cloud broke into a loud, pained sob. The boot retracted then, thin threads of saliva connecting the boot and the blonde’s lips snapping apart. They made eye contact again then and that smile was still on his captor’s lips.

“You did good, doll. Come, make your way up to here with your lips,” Sephiroth ordered, fingers patting the swollen area of his crotch as Cloud wiped his swollen, dirty, and saliva smeared lips with the back of his wrist before he glanced down at the foot again planted on the ground, offended by its very existence. “Start from my toes and kiss me, Cloud. Kiss me all the way up,” the silverette ordered in a low, throaty purr and a shiver of horror spread through the blonde. Once his initial reaction cooled, a small glare sharpened Cloud’s downcast eyes as he leaned back down on his palms and kissed the end of the saliva wet toe box that had violated his mouth and placed butterfly kisses up the wet leather until his swollen lips dried and he made his way to Sephiroth’s knee. Cloud closed his eyes as his heart quivered in his chest, stuttering his breath as he kissed up the man’s warm thigh encased in leather until he neared the strong heat of the silverette’s groin.

He wanted to recoil, tongue retreating into his mouth and against the back of his teeth until he recognized he was expected to not stutter, and inched his head just enough to kiss over the hot bulge in his captor’s pants while two hands began to stroke through his blonde spikes affectionately. The smell of leather and strong male musk permeated Cloud’s nose, growing stronger with the bastard’s excitement as the roots of the blonde’s hair were grabbed and pulled, drawing a short gasp from his mouth before the swollen heat against his lips pushed hard and ground against his parted mouth. Another low, breathy sound of pleasure filled the air above his head until the swollen organ in the silverette’s pants became fully hard and obvious against Cloud’s smashed lips. 

One hand retreated from his hair, and the starting bell was rung when the blonde picked up the sound of a zipper being dragged down, somehow louder than it should have been. His hair was pulled by the hand still gripping it until the blonde gasped and leaned back as the zipper finished its descent and a pale hand reached into the flaps of the leather pants and pulled out a fully engorged, thick, veiny cock with wet, flushed head. With smell more potent than ever the wet head was aimed toward Cloud’s lips and the blonde bit on his top lip for only a brief moment before he opened his jaw wide, heart rocketing in his chest as he was pulled forward by his hair and his mouth was used to sheath the head of his captor’s dick.

“Good, doll, watch your teeth,” Sephiroth said in a breathy, barely constrained pant of pleasure as he adjusted the angle of Cloud’s head and pulled his face closer, forcing the blonde to swallow him deeper and deeper. Water stung the corners of the blonde’s eyes as he struggled to calm his breathy and relax his throat as the salty flavor of pre-cum smeared over his tongue while the silverette’s prick slid further down into his throat, occupying far too much space until Cloud’s nose was pressed into the thick nest of silvery curls that crowned the madman’s cock. Once fully sheathed, Sephiroth tenderly stroked the fingers of both hands through the blonde’s soft spikes. “See, you’ve done this twice now. My precious doll, look at you, a truly beautiful sight. I am ever so glad that you talked me out of my panic,” the silverette purred affectionately as his hands left Cloud’s hair and his fingers reached down between the blonde’s face and his pelvis, the backs of his index fingers stroking the blonde’s stretched cheeks on either side of his dick.

“Now, suck as you pull back, you may hold onto my legs for support. I know you’re still recovering,” Sephiroth said and Cloud blinked back his tears, fighting against the growing ache in his jaw and the burn in his eyes as he lifted his hands up and wrapped his palms around the man’s powerful thighs, feeling the tense muscles beneath the warm leather as he did his best to suck through his lips and pull back. A low, undulating moan spilled from Sephiroth’s lips until Cloud made his way backward until the heavily leaking tip remained on the end of his tongue, which he moved to swipe against the sensitive slit and another groan of pleasure passed from Sephiroth, which prompted more pre-cum to smear Cloud’s tongue, prompting the blonde to slide his tongue over the bottom of his teeth again before sucking his way back forward, fighting the small twitches in his throat muscles as the thick organ slid deep once more.

“Such initiative, wonderful doll,” Sephiroth praised as Cloud set into rhythm, wanting to get Sephiroth to cum as soon as possible. The sooner this bastard finished, the sooner he could hopefully go back to sleep and maybe try to plot some way of making use of his phone. But for now, he’d have to suck his cock until he was satisfied. Sephiroth’s hands found their way into Cloud’s hair again, grabbing hold and urging him to suck forward and back faster as his hips began to rock against him in a very controlled manner even as his breath quickened with building pleasure. 

Fingers digging into the silverette’s thighs, Cloud worked on rubbing his tongue against the sensitive, pulsing vein that ran beneath, appearing to delight Sephiroth as his moans grew more throaty and his breath harder with an increase in the leaking fluids that the blonde swallowed what he could of. With very little warning, Cloud found his head pulled forward toward the silverette’s groin, cock pushing almost too hard into his throat when the man tensed with a loud, guttural moan as cum spilled down his throat and a sharp, gasping gag hit Cloud as he struggled to swallow and not choke on the sudden influx of viscous fluid. When he was released, the blonde wretched a little as he backed away and huddled over, coughing and fighting against every muscle in his throat while trying to bring air into his lungs until the tension finally faded and he came out victorious, wheezing and eyes wet.

“Forgive me, doll. Was I too rough?” Sephiroth said as he knelt down on one knee before the blonde and a hand reached under Cloud’s chin, turning his head up for their eyes to meet. It was bizarre to see such a truly concerned look in the silverette’s gaze as he leaned forward and kissed the blonde’s lips, the tip of his nose, and then his forehead.

“I did not mean to harm you,” Sephiroth whispered as his left hand freed Cloud’s chin and the man’s two arms drew around the blonde as he slid just a little closer and Cloud found himself having to accept, of all things, a hug. “Are you angry?” the question sparked an unbearable smoldering rage in the blonde’s heart as a glare he could not control sharpened his features while his shoulders tensed. Luckily, Sephiroth’s head was down next to his down, unable to see him as the blonde forced his arms up and placed them lightly around the silverette’s waist.

“No. My stomach isn’t happy though,” Cloud half lied, doing his best to reign in his anger in case Sephiroth looked at his face and he was caught with what he felt could only be the most hateful look he had ever had on his face. Taking a deep breath and closing his eyes, the blonde was able to get his facial muscles to relax and tension to leave his shoulders; and just a moment later Sephiroth leaned back up. When Cloud opened his eyes their gazes met and a soft, tender smile curved the silverette’s lips.

“How about this, to make it up to you, I will make you whatever you want for a meal. Then we can have a relaxing soak in the tub... after I return the favor you just did for me. Hm? I don’t want to demand too much of you just yet, not until the serum is out of your system. So oral sex will do, hm?” Sephiroth asked and though he nearly recoiled, Cloud forced himself to give as happy of a smile as he could. A look of surprise filled his captor’s face and a delighted smile curved the silverette’s lips, enhancing that uncomfortable look in those cat-like eyes.

“Oh, I’m glad that my doll is so happy with my idea. Well then, perhaps we should get up and do just that then, hm?” Sephiroth asked and the blonde had to fight the frown that wanted to turn his lips as he nodded. Well, apparently he tried too hard.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning(s): Disturbing sexual Imagery (which Cloud is subject to seeing), Bad BDSM etiquette. Boot sucking. Boot fetishism? Nonconsensual touching. Hand job. Forced bathing. Oral Sex. Dominance/Submission. Humiliation. Uh... I think I got everything.


	11. A Drawing Of Sephiroth (spoilers if you aren't up to date in the story)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something I drew for the fic while I chip away at the latest chapter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk if this interests anyone, but I wanted to draw something in relation to Haunting Of The Dolls, and thought I could post it here. And let you guys know I'm still working on it! The current chapter is giving me some pains, unfortunately. I wanted to draw something posed with Cloud and Sephiroth, but I suck at posing so I defaulted to what I usually draw, which is a face. DX I actually have something I drew of Cloud from a few months back, it's also a portrait (lol) of "doll" Cloud.
> 
> I'm sorry it's not a real chapter. DX Next time this is updated though, it will have the actual next chapter!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just realized, I do have a question. With how I have written this, would people like to see a detailing of Cloud's recovery, or should I have a lightly detailed time-skip of a couple weeks? Currently I have it set up as a lightly detailed time-skip, but I thought this would be a good opportunity to ask for anyone willing to answer.


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